Regrets to Forget
by mistressinwaiting
Summary: This was his second chance and, by God, he was so not messing it up even if everyone was against him and even if the dobe had lost his memory... Yeah, this would work out wonderfully...
1. Introduction

--Konoha 11 mysetiously disappears, and all that's left of them are memories but, when Sasuke goes to investigate, he meets up with the pink-haired rebellion empress. And what's this? Naruto's got amnesia!? OMG!? What the Hell is going on!?

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**Yay, this is my third fanfiction! And like the others, this one is based on a whole lot of things. You'll see themes from so many different shows—you know, a lot of the manga and anime and dramas that have a whole lot of twists in them—and a whole lot more. There's gonna be romance, tragedy, drama, and so much more. There's going to be a few twists, but it'll be good. And like my first two fanfictions "Passion" and "dragon lady龍女ドラゴンレディー," this fanfiction and all of its chapters will be named after songs! Thank you for supporting my fanfictions, and please review!**

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Introduction

As the Uchiha looked down on the cold, desolate empire that once used to be the thriving Land of Fire—the land that once housed the village of Konoha—he couldn't help but blame himself. He could have prevented it. He could have helped stop this, but instead he was the fool who brought down Danzo and the Konoha Elders, the very base of Konoha's laws. He didn't regret that though. He had gotten his revenge against the very ones who brought down his clan and branded his brother a traitor and murderer. Why _wouldn't_ he be happy?

The only thing he had ever regretted was letting Madara live. Because that _demon_ was alive, he took over the Land of Fire and every single ninja village in that land, combining every town and village into the ultimate empire. And as his first decree as Emperor, he ordered every single ninja and warrior to plead allegiance to him or be executed.

Now, at first, you'd think nobody would listen, right? Well, that's where most people went wrong. Madara had planned his invasion years and years ahead of time and, during that time, he had recruited so many followers that nobody had any other choice but to obey.

That was where the whole problem began. Of course, there were a few sides just like in every other new foray. In this one, though, there were three: the Kinnouka who supported Madara, the Chuutai who just didn't want to take part in politics, and then there were the Hanzoku who were completely _against_ Madara and all that he stood for.

Now, Sasuke—he was with the Chuutai. He hadn't really cared about what would happen to Konoha, just like the rest of his group. But Konoha 11, their clans, and their sensei plus their beloved Godaime Hokage and her assistant—they were with the Hanzoku. _Of course_, they were with the Hanzoku. Their beloved home was being invaded by a man who was probably _worse_ than Danzo and Orochimaru combined. But like The Foundation founder and the snake Sannin, Madara had too many followers—so many, in fact, that his rule extended to the Land of Rivers and the Land of Wind. The invasions of those two countries happened so quickly and so effectively that the Kazekage and his followers had no choice but to flee their home and seek refuge in unknown territory . . . just like Konoha 11 and their group.

Sasuke clenched his fists. He remembered that encounter all too well. In fact, he was the one who let them escape. He didn't know _why_ he did that. Perhaps it was the helpless look in Sakura's emerald eyes that swayed him. After all, during their days in Team 7, he had always been her protector and, even after those days, he had never been able to bring himself to hurt her. Perhaps she was the main reason why he let them go free, but she wasn't his _only_ reason. Sure, Sakura would've been easy to take down even if she _wasn't_ injured, but there was also the knucklehead Naruto. He protected the kunoichi till the end. However, he hadn't been fighting Sasuke but with one of Madara's most trusted subordinates and, during the battle, he received a horrible and life-threatening head injury. Of course, Sasuke took care of that subordinate (who had gone after Sakura after he was done with Naruto) but, after that, he hadn't seen either of his teammates. He didn't even know if they were still _alive_.

But for some reason, in his heart, he knew they were . . . because the Will of Fire hadn't gone out yet. And as long as he was alive, that sacred fire would continue to burn, just waiting for the knucklehead ninja to take his rightful spot as Hokage in the village known as Konoha.

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**Chuutai = middle truth**

**Godaime Hokage = Fifth Hokage**

**Hanzoku = rebels**

**Kinnouka = loyalists**

**Phew! Oh, wait, why am I saying _that_? This chapter wasn't even that hard to think of! Oh, well, I still finished this, didn't I? Well, never mind that. Thank you for even bothering to read it. The first chapter's coming up soon, so please wait! Oh, and review please! Oh, and, for all you New Jersey peoples, have fun in the snow! Cuz I know I did!**

**(Oh, and to those who read my other two fanfictions and this one, I made a YouTube video for my fanfictions but I think the video goes much more better with dragon lady龍女ドラゴンレディー than "Passion." Please check it out and tell me what you think of it by commenting me on YouTube or, if you don't have a YouTube account, please comment in your review! Thank you!)**


	2. Chapter 1: Friend or Foe

-Konoha 11 mysteriously disappears, and all that's left of them are memories but, when Sasuke goes to investigate, he meets up with the pink-haired rebellion empress. And what's this? Naruto's got amnesia! OMG! What the Hell is going on?

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**Yay! The first chapter's up! I'm so happy! It took me a while to come up with the whole plot of this fanfiction, so I'm going to be working really hard to meet your expectations. What else… Oh, yeah, this chapter's named after t.A.T.u.'s song _Friend or Foe_. Oh, and this whole fanfiction is named after Kim Bum-Soo's song of the same name. Enjoy!**

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Chapter One

Friend or Foe

The day was like any other day really . . . except for the fact that Sasuke found himself plotting numerous ways of escaping from Madara's empire. Indeed, it wasn't going to be an easy task. His name, face, and skills were too well-known. The guards would have spotted him the moment he tried to set foot out of the inner walls. (Yes, the empire was guarded by two walls—walls that rivaled that of the Great Wall of China. So yeah… Try climbing _that_!)

Sasuke sighed. If there was ever a time when he needed that knucklehead ex-teammate of his, it'd be now. And speaking of knuckleheads . . . "Anko, what do you want?"

"Oy! Don't think you can use that tone with _me_, young man!" the lavender-haired jonin yelled. "I'm _still_ your superior, you know!"

"Yeah, until a few more days, that is."

"Yeah, yeah, I know all about your _big_, _fancy_ promotion. But you _do_ know Madara is only doing that so he can keep a closer eye on you, don't ya?" the kunoichi asked, crossing her arms.

"You know, Anko, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were _worried_ about me."

"Ha!" she snorted. Then her voice turned into a whisper. "I'm only doing what your ex-teammates and Kakashi would've wanted. _Attempting_ to teach you manners and keeping you safe from Madara are probably the only things I can do for them right now."

"Strange… Don't you also _spy_ on Madara for them?"

"Wh-what? How did you know?" But the kunoichi shook her head and regained her tomboyish expression. "I mean, STAY OUT OF MY BUSINESS, YA NOSY LITTLE _BRAT_!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Okay, Anko, I know you didn't come here just to talk to me about what Naruto and Sakura wanted for me, so why _exactly_ are you here?"

"Oh, I almost forgot." the kunoichi cleared her throat. "Madara—I mean, the _all-mighty Emperor_ wants to see both of us and Juugo. Something about a mission or something else…"

"Fine… Let's go then. We can't keep the _all-mighty Emperor_ waiting for long. You know, he's a lot more worse than Tsunade was when she was angry."

"Har, har to that."

✿｡.:**.:｡✿

As Madara started chattering out all the details of the oh-so _important_ mission, Sasuke couldn't help but think of how Madara's invasion had affected so many people, friends and enemies alike. Take Team Hebi, for example. Karin and Suigetsu had been the worst of enemies, always fighting and always bickering with each other, but, when Madara had started to take over, they joined forces with each other. They even went as far as becoming members of the Hanzoku and combining forces with Konoha 11 to try and defeat the Uchiha warlord.

Sasuke had always thought they were lucky since they were able to leave the problem before it even started. He almost regretted not going with them and often wished that he was with them right now.

Then, there was Juugo. He had stayed, but he was still loyal to his two friends as well as Sasuke. The only reasons why he was still in the empire was because of Sasuke, not wanting to lose control, and waiting for the perfect chance to strike at Madara.

Sasuke, on the other hand—he didn't know _why_ he was still there. Perhaps it was because Madara was also an Uchiha. Perhaps that was what propelled him to stay for all this time, but those times would be over soon—_very_ soon.

"So, you understand your mission, right?" Madara asked of the three.

"Hai!"

✿｡.:**.:｡✿

The mission was easy enough, just to capture three Hanzoku members who had been spotted in the territory that was just outside the wall that shielded the once-used-to-be Land of Wind. There were no descriptions since the Hanzoku uniforms covered the wearer's body so completely that you couldn't even make out the individual features of the said wearer. And so, the only information Sasuke had was that there were only three rebels, one boy and two girls with one of the girls in a higher position than her teammates.

How did they know? Well, the cloaks that the Hanzoku members wore were different for each gender—the guys' were a bit looser than the girls' while the girls' were skin-tight. And the butterfly masks that they worse were different for each rank. And now pursuing the rebels, Sasuke saw that the girl who was in a higher position than the other two was near the ranks of Sannin and probably the leader, just as he was.

_So, that's why Madara sent me,_ the Uchiha thought. _He underestimates me too much sometimes._ He smirked, knowing that he'd get a challenge.

He glanced over at Anko. And even though she wore an ANBU mask, it was easy to tell how she felt about the mission. Why, ever since she caught sight of the rebel leader's mask, she had begun to tremble with fear but for _what _exactly? Fear that the rebel kunoichi would kill them or was it because she knew the kunoichi?

Sasuke didn't really care at the moment. Besides, he'd get his answers once the battle had started and once he tore off the rebel kunoichi's mask. But right now, the chase was all that mattered.

✿｡.:**.:｡✿

They soon came to a clearing, and the groups faced each other. The rebel leader wasn't what you'd call _short_, just seven centimeters _shorter_ than Sasuke, but she was the _shortest_ one out of both groups. Even the other female rebel was taller than her (even though it was by _one_ centimeter).

No words were spoken. The only sounds heard were made by Anko's sudden movements for her kunai, but she held them in front of her in such a weird way, in almost a cross shape. And then using her left index finger, she tapped on her kunai nine times—three short, three long, and then three short again.

Seeing Anko's signal, the rebel leader leaned towards the other female on her side. "Make sure _Fish-Boy_ here doesn't hurt the kunoichi." she hissed, and her ally nodded her head. For some reason, though, Sasuke recognized the voice, but it was too early to be a hundred-percent sure.

"Anko," Sasuke said, knowing that there was no need to hide the kunoichi's identity if she was an ally of the Hanzoku. "If you're not going to fight then stay out of my way."

The jonin's eyes widened. She knew of the Uchiha's skills and abilities, and they were no myth. "You're not . . . you're not going to _kill_ them, are you?"

Sasuke just shrugged. "That depends on whether or not they can put up a good fight."

The rebel leader smiled. She recognized the Uchiha's voice but couldn't really put her finger on it. She knew she had heard it _some_where before, but she couldn't remember where.

"Cocky, aren't ya?" she asked. Sasuke didn't answer her, and so she just leaned towards _Fish-Boy_, as she put it. "Their leader's _mine_." she said, almost over-possessively.

"Whatever, Empress-san." the male rebel said. "But once you know _who_ you're up against, you'd wish you've _never_ even challenged him."

Sasuke saw the other female rebel roll her eyes. "Yeah, right. You just want him to yourself." she mumbled then held out her hand to her leader. "Told you he was gay. Now pay up."

"Heh, the bet's not over till Madara's _dead_." the leader scoffed.

"Hmp, you're just like your mentor, _Princess_." The taller female rebel crossed her arms. "Both of you don't like to lose, and you both _hate_ to be wrong."

"Hey, it's not my fault I took after her. She _was_ my mentor, after all. It's natural that I take after her."

"Yeah, I know. But I'll prove to you that Fishy's gay."

"Ooh, I'm hurt, Four-Eyes." Fishy said. "The fact that you think so lowly of me almost brings tears to my eyes. Oh, a-boo, boo-hoo." And he pretended to cry.

"Oh, just be quiet, both of you! Seriously, I don't know how the other two could _stand_ your bickering!" The rebel leader then flashed her eyes—silvery blue with a blood red center[1] that almost looked like gems—at the Uchiha and smiled. "Besides, I don't think he'll let me go now that I've challenged him to a battle…"

And in a short second later, she had caught a kunai that was aimed for her head. Her smile grew. "And he doesn't seem to disappoint." She turned to her two allies. "You can talk to your friend if you want. I probably won't be done for a while, so take your time." And then she jumped into the tall trees, surrounding them.

"You know, I really hope she doesn't die." Fish-Boy said to the other female rebel.

"You're _unbelievable_! That girl won't die until she sees that Konoha returns to its rightful leaders and owners!" the female snapped back. "And besides, I bet that she'll beat that Kinnouka agent with no problem at all."

"Oh, wow… Even _you_ don't remember the ice-cube." Fishy chuckled. "And you used to be _obsess_ with him."

"Sh-SHUT UP!"

Sasuke took that as his chance to leave but, before he went after the rebel leader, Anko tried to stop him.

"Wait!" she said. "She—"

"Anko, whatever you're going to say isn't going to stop me from fighting her."

The lavender-haired kunoichi frowned. She knew it was no use in trying to change an Uchiha's mind, so she just said, "Just don't kill her, okay?"

"I can't make any promises."

"Just _don't_, okay?" Anko snapped.

The Uchiha didn't answer. He just gave a small grunt and disappeared into the trees after the rebel kunoichi.

Juugo, on the other hand, readied himself to fight against the other two Hanzoku members, but the male rebel just chuckled.

"Oy, Juugo! It's better if we just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!"

That caught Juugo off guard. "How . . . how do you know my name?"

"Ouch, I'm hurt, Juugo… Both you and Mr. Ice-cube didn't recognize me or the bitch." Fish-Boy said as he took off his mask, showing a familiar face. "It's _me_, Suigetsu! And this here"—he patted the female rebel's back—"is Karin!"

"And, you know, if ya yell any louder, YOU'LL WAKE UP THE _WHOLE FOREST_!" the red-haired kunoichi screamed.

"Yeah, yeah, just keep talking." Suigetsu chuckled.

"Suigetsu? Karin?" Juugo was really surprised. He hadn't seen those two in over a year already.

"Yeah, it's us." Karin said, taking off her mask.

Juugo smiled. "Wow! This is . . . _great_! Unbelievable! I didn't expect to see you guys!"

"Well, neither did we!" Suigetsu grinned. "How have you and the ice-cube been doing? Good, hopefully, right?"

"Yeah… Anko, here"—Juugo gestured to the kunoichi standing next to him—"has helped us both out."

"_Really_?" Suigetsu asked. "Well, thanks, Anko! For taking care of both of them for us!"

"Uh . . . yeah… You're welcome…" The used-to-be Konoha kunoichi felt awkward. Why was she talking to them? Wasn't she supposed to be on a mission? "Anoo . . . shouldn't we stop that battle?" she asked. "I mean, won't Sak—"

"Nah, that girl can hold her own against Sasuke." Karin said. "I've seen her train. She's probably just as strong as him. She'll probably only get a few scratches. That's all."

"Yeah, Empress-san can sure fight!" Suigetsu added. "Why, she's even whooped my ass a few couple of times already! So stop your worrying! She can hold her own against the ice-cube, no doubt about it!"

"Well . . . okay, if you say so…" Anko didn't know what else to do. If those two said their leader would be fine, why not trust them? After all, they—not Anko—had been together with her for over a year already. They knew what she could do, and they trusted her abilities._ But, Sakura, you better make it out of this alive… The Hanzoku won't hold without you…_

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**[1] = if you like Ayumi Hamasaki's song Jewel then you probably know what I mean when I describe the rebel leader's eyes. If you don't know what I'm talking about, just go search up the music video for Ayumi Hamasaki's _Jewel_ and watch it. You'll understand once you see it.**

**Yes! Chapter done! Do you guys like it so far? It took me a while to come up with it, actually. I hope you guys don't hate it or anything. Anyway, please review! Oh and, if you have time, read my other fanfictions if you haven't already! Thank you!**


	3. Chapter 2: Nice to meet you again

-Konoha 11 mysteriously disappears, and all that's left of them are memories but, when Sasuke goes to investigate, he meets up with the pink-haired rebellion empress. And what's this? Naruto's got amnesia! OMG! What the Hell is going on?

* * *

**Yay! I'm sorry I haven't been updating this one. Been kind of busy with the holidays and all… Sorry… But I hope you like this one. However, I can't say that I'm good at battle scenes. Please don't hate me for my crappy battle scenes… And try to enjoy this chapter even though the battle's kind of stupid, and the whole thing's kind of short. (The chapter's named after Yanni's _Nice To Meet You_.)**

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Chapter Two

Nice to meet you . . . again

High in the trees, you could hear the clashing of metal as they touched and the metallic ringing of swords as the battle dragged on. And though they were evenly matched in some aspects, Sasuke was able to knock the female rebel's sword out of her hands. And for some reason, the kunoichi didn't take out her kunai but two iron fans. Now, for what purpose, Sasuke didn't know, but he knew that the kunoichi had a plan. All he needed to do was figure it out. Couldn't be _that_ hard, right? After all, if she _was_ the same rank as him, she probably thought in almost the _exact_ same way as he did. So, no problem there, right? Well . . . actually, that's where Sasuke'd be wrong.

The kunoichi threw both fans up into the air, and they flew about like boomerangs in the air. And apparently, they both were _extremely_ sharp, cutting every single thing they touched.

The kunoichi charged at Sasuke, but he deflected her with his Chidori Nagashi[1]. The rebel flew backwards in the air, caught one of her fans, and landed gracefully on her feet. Waiting for the other fan to fly nearer, the kunoichi hid her smile with the fan she held. And when the gliding fan flew in front of her, she grabbed it and twirled, giving more momentum to her weapon, and she threw it at the Uchiha who barely dodged it. And the fan flew back to her. She threw it once more, but Sasuke dodged it again. However, this time, the kunoichi threw a kunai at him, and it hit his shoulder, gouging deep into it.

"Smart, aren't you?" he asked as he took the kunai out of his arm.

"_Naturally_," the kunoichi answered as she caught her fan. She closed both fans, connecting the two sticks together, and the fans turned into a whip. "If I wasn't then I probably wouldn't _be_ here right now…" And then, she aimed her whip at Sasuke's head.

The Uchiha held his sword in front of him, but the force when the whip touched his blade was so strong that it actually pushed him back and almost broke his sword. The girl's whip came and came at him, time and time again. It was amazing how his sword didn't break.

And after the, maybe, twentieth whip, Sasuke had had enough. Once he saw an opening, he threw his sword to the side, jumped into the air, and released his Phoenix Flower Jutsu[2]. In less than a second, the kunoichi was surrounded by flames, and she began to cough because of the smoke inhalation. And once she was distracted, Sasuke came behind her and twisted her left hand behind her back, causing her to drop her whip. She struggled, but she couldn't free herself from Sasuke's grasp.

"Out of tricks, aren't you?" he asked the kunoichi, breathing against her skin.

"Not quite…" The kunoichi smirked, stopping her struggles. She turned around and punched the Uchiha. _Pow!_ Right in the kisser! (Sorry, _Tweety Bird_ moment there…) "You see, I have a very nasty right hook, courtesy of my shisou."

"Hn… And so it seems. Thanks for telling me that _now_." The Uchiha looked up at the kunoichi, rubbing his jaw; his mask broken, thanks to the kunoichi's inhuman punch. His face was completely exposed.

And once the kunoichi caught sight of him, she froze. Her eyes widened, and she began to tremble. "Sa . . . _Sasuke-kun_..?"

That was enough to stun Sasuke as well. How did the kunoichi know him? And did he know her? In fact, was she—

"Oy, Pinkie!" Suigetsu's voice ran out through the forest. "I don't hear any fighting going on anymore! Are you dead? Or did you find out who you're fighting against?" He chuckled. "Ya _see_? I told you that you'd regret fighting him!"

_Pinkie?_ the Uchiha thought.

He walked towards the kunoichi who had turned her face away from him. She didn't want him to see her tears. The Uchiha placed his hand under the kunoichi's face and turned her face towards his.

"Sakura?" he asked. "Is that really you?"

He didn't get an answer from the kunoichi. She just blinked her eyes, and they turned into their delicate shade of emerald green. And once Sasuke took off her mask and hood, he saw the face of the girl he knew from his days with Team 7 but, before he had a chance to say anything, the kunoichi wrapped her arms around him, crying into his chest.

"You're _alive_! You're alive!" the kunoichi sobbed quietly. Sasuke could hear the relief in her voice. She sounded as if a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders, and everything was right with the world.

It started to rain then, but the two just stood there in each other's embrace.

"I really missed you…" Sakura said after a long while of silence filled with the _potsu-potsu_ of the rain and the quiet gasps she breathed throughout her tears. "I missed you so much… I'm so glad that you're safe…"

Sasuke didn't say anything. He was just too . . . just too shocked to say anything. For over a year, he had not seen her, and yet there she was, still as beautiful and still the same little girl as she always been.

But after a while, the Uchiha finally spoke. "I'm just glad that you're alright . . . that you're still alive…" And he kissed her forehead.

She smiled. "Since when have you treated me like this?" But seeing that the Uchiha was as quiet as before, she changed her question. "So…" She sniffled back a cry. "What have you been doing for this past year? Neither Ino nor Anko tell me enough of what I want to hear."

The Uchiha shrugged. "Nothing much… Just wondering how you and the rest of the Hanzoku have managed to stay hidden and free from the Kinnouka's grasp for so long…"

The kunoichi looked up at his face and cocked her head to the side; her face arrogant and flirtatious. "I'm not _obliged_ to tell you that, _Uchiha_, nor am I _allowed_ to."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, and Sakura bent the rules by just a bit.

"We're all just _very_ good at acting." she said with a bit of snobbery.

"Or maybe you all just ganged up on the people who found you out."

"_Ha_! You _wish_!" she giggled. "Naruto would probably _kill_ a guy for just looking at me the wrong way . . . just as you are doing now."

"Can you blame me? I haven't seen you in over a year, and yet here we are talking as if nothing has changed."

"That's because it's true." the kunoichi replied. "Nothing _has_ changed . . . except for the fact that you're a _bit_ more talkative."

"Hn…"

"What? Now we're just back to '_Hn_s' and '_Ah_s'?" The kunoichi let out another giggled. "I guess you really haven't changed, as both Anko and Ino told me."

The Uchiha didn't say anymore on the matter, and so Sakura just rested her head on his chest. "Jeez, and just when I thought—"

"How's the dobe?"

But at that question, the Haruno tensed, and that didn't go unnoticed by the ebony-haired shinobi.

"Sakura, what happened to Naruto?"

The kunoichi pulled away from the Uchiha, unable to meet his face and putting about three meters of distance between them. "It's better if you don't know…" she said.

"Sakura—"

But she didn't let him finish. The kunoichi threw two kunai that barely zoomed past the Uchiha, and they hit a bush of leaves behind him. And then there was a loud scream—one that, Sasuke realized, belonged to one of Madara's Kinnouka agents.

"Suigetsu!"

And the ex-Hebi member was by Sakura's side in a split second. "Yeah, you called?" he asked.

The kunoichi pointed at the spot where the scream came from and said, "We've got a kill."

"Oh, really?" Suigetsu asked as he looked at the leaves. "You sure the guy's still there? I mean, he was found out. He probably—"

"Nope, he's still there. I went and poked out _both_ of his eyes." Sakura explained as if nothing happened. "No way is he getting anywhere anytime soon."

And once Suigetsu went to take care of the nosy eavesdropper, everyone else (meaning Karin, Juugo, and Anko) appeared by their respective leader's side. On Sakura's side, there was another Hanzoku member. And from the looks of it, that new character was probably female and probably a bit older than her peers. Her mask and cloak were different, too: a red mask with engraved native-looking features with two triangular pieces attached to the white fur hood. She knelt down in front of the kunoichi.

"San?" Sakura asked. She seemed as surprised as everyone else was. "_Kojuutome_?"

"Hai, Empress-san…" The girl's voice was rough and contained a bit of a wolf-like growl.

"Kojuutome ha koko de nani wo shite iru no desu ka?" Sakura was angry—everyone could see that—but _why_? "You were supposed to stay with everyone else and protect them but, more importantly, you shouldn't be in this dangerous place when you're—"

"Empress-san, you must leave immediately! The Kinnouka are headed this way! We must get you to safety!"

At that, both Sakura and Sasuke's eyes widened. "Nani? Sore douyuu imi desu ka?"

Suigetsu appeared at that moment; his sword covered with blood. "Mononoke-hime's right, Pinkie! The guy I just finished off signaled for almost the whole army!"

"Sakura, you _need_ to leave!" Anko pleaded. "If Madara catches you, who _knows_ what'll happen to the Hanzoku!"

"But—" The pink-haired kunoichi's eyes shifted towards her ex-teammate.

"We've got to go!" Karin yelled, pulling on Sakura's arm.

"But what about—"

"Don't ya worry, Pinkie!" Suigetsu flashed her a smile. "I'll make sure Sasuke's got a story to tell that damn Madara."

Sakura felt a little assured, but she spared the Uchiha one last glance because she was worried and because who knew how long it'd be before she saw him again. "Sasuke-kun…"

* * *

**Imouto-san = [younger] sister; [younger] sister-in-law (honorific use)**

**Kojuutome = [elder] sister-in-law**

**Kojuutome ha koko de nani wo shite iru no desu ka = what are you [sister-in-law] doing here?**

**Nani = what?**

**Potsu-potsu = drip-drop; pitter-patter**

**Shisou = master**

**Sore douyuu imi desu ka = what do you mean [by it]?**

**[1] = A variation on a regular Chidori developed by Sasuke during his two-and-a-half year training with Orochimaru, this jutsu allows the user to generate non-focused electrically charged chakra from his body, instead of concentrating it in his hand. Because the electricity isn't focused, it doesn't kill on contact, instead only paralyzing its victims. By sending the current into the ground Sasuke can stun opponents from a distance. Sasuke can also channel the electricity through metallic weapons like his Kusanagi sword, increasing their cutting power, as well as making body parts numb by cutting them.**

**[2] = This jutsu sends multiple balls of fire at a target. It is also possible to hide shuriken within the fireballs, creating an unexpected secondary surprise attack. For the most part, however, this jutsu is used as a distraction.**

**Yeah, this chapter had a bit more Japanese than I'd usually have in my stories, and I had a crossover from _Princess Mononoke _(San AKA Mononoke-hime herself). You'll see a bit more of her in this fanfiction, but her love story is _probably_ going to end up tragic. Keep in mind, I said _probably_, so it might _not_ end up tragic. I still haven't made up my mind about her role yet. So please continue to read if you want to find out. Please review, too!**


	4. Chapter 3: Whatever version Sasuke

-Konoha 11 mysteriously disappears, and all that's left of them are memories but, when Sasuke goes to investigate, he meets up with the pink-haired rebellion empress. And what's this? Naruto's got amnesia! OMG! What the Hell is going on?

* * *

**Ahh! I'm _so_ tired! This chapter took me a while to type up and to write actually… It took me quite a couple of days, so hopefully it's good. The chapter's named after Ayumi Hamasaki's song _Whatever_. There's two different original versions to "_Whatever_," a version M and a version J. So yeah . . . Please enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Three

Whatever (version Sasuke)

And so, Sasuke found himself laying down on Team 7's usual training grounds, just staring up at the clouds—just as Shikamaru had done time and time before. The silence was something Sasuke had gotten used to over the months. It was easier for him to think, but it didn't mean that he didn't miss his teammates and their company every _once_ in a while.

"_Yo_!" Genma appeared out of a puff of smoke and grinned. "Wish I was Kakashi, don't ya?"

"Ha-ha, very funny. What's with all you undercover Hanzoku-nin and bothering me? Geez, you'd think it'd be a sport or something."

"Well, Anko has the highest score so far. Ino's in second."

The Uchiha glared at the laughing shinobi and, once said shinobi caught sight of the glare, he quickly stopped laughing.

"I was just kidding…" Genma muttered under his breath. "Jeez, and you'd think—"

"Why are you _here_?" Sasuke asked, getting a little impatient. "And don't tell me it's just to bother me cuz I _will_ kill you if that's actually the answer."

"Actually," Genma cleared his throat. "Madara wants to see you at the council hall."

"If it's about the mission, I already gave my report."

"Yeah, I know. [I] heard from Anko that you met up with Empress-san."

That caught Sasuke's attention. "How _much_ did Anko actually _tell_ you?" He knew that Anko was just as bad as Ino when it came to gossiping and, if they _did_ gossip, the story always ended up being some fantasy/romance soap-opera. And that wasn't going to be good for the heartless bastard's reputation.

"Oh, not much." Genma scratched his head. "Just that you met up with Empress-san. Anko wouldn't tell me or anyone else anymore."

Sasuke found some relief in that last sentence. When Anko got into a rant, she would talk and talk and talk—almost like how Naruto did when he got into a rant. It was definitely annoying and not to mention the fact that Anko was a girl which meant that she could talk a whole lot _more_ than Naruto could nonstop. But there was something in Genma's words that stuck out more than anything.

"Why do you and every other Hanzoku member keep calling Sakura '_Empress-san_'?"

"Oh, we-we-we _do_?" Genma asked innocently but, inside, he was sweating puddles of Oh-I-hope-he-doesn't-catch-on sweat. "I-I-I haven't noticed."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, knowing that Genma was lying through his teeth, but he didn't pursue the subject any further than that. "Just . . . go tell Madara that I'll be in his office or the council hall in a few minutes."

"Yes, sir." And Genma was gone.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Madara was droning, ranting, then droning again with his speech. It was long—took almost two hours. Most of the younger shinobi had fallen asleep while the older shinobi started drinking their tea or coffee to try and stay awake. But luckily, Madara's speech was almost done. However . . . the ending got quite a few . . . err, _responses_.

"And so, to keep up with our fastidious alliance with the other free villages," the Uchiha warlord said. "We're going to hold a cotillion/soirée."

And almost every shinobi in the meeting room started choking on their tea/coffee. Sasuke, who was leaning against the wall, stayed impassive as always but, in his mind, he had the same reaction as the rest of the shinobi.

"So…" Madara seemed oblivious to the fact that everyone was choking. "What do you guys think?"

It was silence and cricket chirping for a while until comments like "Good, good," "Wonderful idea," and "Marvelous plan, sire/your majesty" were thrown around but, in their minds, all the ninja were screaming, "_What the hell_? He has _got_ to be joking!"

But, apparently, Madara wasn't joking, much to every shinobi's dismay. "Good, the ball's tomorrow night. Please be prepared. Oh, and the cotillion is a _formal_ ball, so dress appropriately."

_He's got to be kidding!_ went through every single shinobi's mind. _Why the Hell is he _torturing_ us like this? Oh Lord, WHY?_

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"So . . . how was the mission, Sakura? I trust that there were no difficulties."

"Hai, Kougou Heika." Sakura bowed her head.

Now, Tsunade may have been (and still is) an important political figure, but she didn't like all the formalities that came with it. In fact, she thought they were just downright _annoying_.

Putting down her pen, she looked up at her apprentice. "Sakura, I may be the Empress Regent, but I was your mentor first, so you can stop with the official procedures and blah-blah-blah, kay?"

"H-Hai . . . Tsunade-shisou."

"That'll be all." And so, the elderly blonde went back to her paper work.

Shizune opened the door (some tents _do_ have wooden doors) for the pink-haired kunoichi but, before Sakura walked out of the tent, she noticed something. "Sakura, where's your mask?"

The Haruno froze then.

"Did you lose it on the mission?"

"Oh, that… No, I . . ."

"Haruno Sakura," Tsunade said, staring straight through whatever excuse her apprentice would make. "You encountered Uchiha Sasuke on your last mission, he figured out your identity, and he still has your mask. Am I correct?"

The cherry blossom couldn't find the correct words to say. What was she supposed to do? She was found out, and there really was no point in lying to Tsunade when _nothing_ happened.

Tsunade saw the kunoichi's baffled expression, and a smile tugged on her lips. "Well, _am_ I correct?"

"Tsunade-shisou… Why..? Why would you say _that_?"

"'_Why_?_'_ you ask? Are you really _that_ surprised?" the former Hokage asked. "I'm sure, by now, you've realized that I trust you to come back _alive_ on _all_ of your missions, and I'm sure you know that I wouldn't risk sending your pregnant sister-in-law out so far from our territory just to check up on you. Though she _thinks_ that's the reason, I only sent her out so that you wouldn't do anything to jeopardize yourself or your teammates . . . and so that you'd come back earlier."

"So . . . are you saying that you _don't_ trust me?"

"No, actually… I trust you . . . with every _ounce_ of my being, but I also trust that my agents will tell me the truth, so I was thoroughly surprised when I got three _completely_ different mission reports from your teammates and San. And I was more surprised when San said that her wolves had caught whiff of an Uchiha…" Tsunade glanced up at the minor. "Sakura, what _really_ happened? Did you meet up with Sasuke or not?"

"Tsunade-shisou, I…"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"I won't go."

"But _why_? Tobi _needs_ you there!" Madara cried fake anime tears with his orange swirly mask on. "Many of the representatives will be either _females_ or diplomats with eligible _daughters_! Tobi _needs_ you there to make a good impression!"

"Get someone else to do it." But before Sasuke was able to slam the door shut, Madara made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

"Fine then… But I can't promise you that I'll be able to stop the Kinnouka from putting a bounty on your adorable pink-haired friend's beautiful, little head."

That alone was enough to stop Sasuke from walking out the door, and it angered him enough that his Sharingan activated without him even knowing.

"She _is_ one of the highest ranking Hanzoku leaders, you know." Madara added. "Why, Tobi believes that your friend is actually _second_-in-command, right under Tsunade's rule and _only_ Tsunade's rule. The Kinnouka are really angry at her, and Tobi is doing all that he can to stop them, but they insist on putting out a bounty on _Sakura-chan_. And if you don't go to this cotillion, Tobi may not be able to stop them anymore."

"Is that a _threat_?"

Madara shrugged. "Tobi can't promise _anything_ unless Tobi _knows_ that you'll appear at the soirée, so . . . what will it be?"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"_WHAT_? So . . . are you meaning to tell me that this personality-splitting son of a bitch _threatened_ to _endanger_ Billboard Brow's _life_?" Ino couldn't believe her ears. The more she heard, the more she wanted to rip Madara apart. "How could he do such a thing…? Why, I have a right mind to strangle the life out of him right now…" she muttered to herself in a low snarl, placing her hands on her hips, blowing off some steam, and tapping her foot.

"And _so_?" she asked the Uchiha. "What did you say to him? If you ask me, that _all-high-and-mighty _Emperor needs to be taught a lesson. I hope you gave that _bastard_ a piece of your mind."

"What else could I have done besides agreeing to go to that _stupid_ cotillion?" Sasuke asked. "If I didn't then Madara would've—"

"Sakura's not _weak_ anymore, you know. Plus, she has the whole Hanzoku protecting her." Ino said, a little angry that Sasuke still saw Sakura as the weak little girl from Team 7. "She can take care of herself."

"Yeah, I kind of figured _that_ out when she almost punched the living daylights out of me." the Uchiha replied while rubbing his jaw. Even just remembering the impact of Sakura's fist made the pain come back. And while Ino tried to hold back her laughter, Sasuke couldn't help but think back to that fateful event almost a year ago—when Madara took control.

It was late-autumn, early-winter—somewhere near that time; no one was really sure anymore—but the only thing that was completely certain was that it was raining, and it was bloody Hell all over. And Naruto ended up with a fatal injury and was left unconscious with Sakura nursing him right on the battlefield. But even under Madara's orders and even though his bonds with Team 7 were already broken, Sasuke couldn't bring himself to finish the job he was assigned. Why, he wouldn't even let the other Kinnouka agents take a _step_ closer to his ex-teammates but, of course, they didn't listen, and he killed them anyway.

Sakura didn't really think less of him for that, but she did _question_ his sanity. Sasuke remembered that conversation vividly and all too well, probably because it was the _only_ calm conversation they had in over three _years_. A weird one, too…

_It wasn't raining as hard as it was after Sasuke and Naruto's fight at The Valley of Death, but there was _enough_ rain to wash away all the blood that was shed. Elsewhere, the battles raged on, and more shinobi fell and so did their villages to Madara's rule. The Heavens seemed to have been crying as the rain fell… Everywhere, people . . . villages . . . and freedom were falling… Even Naruto, the one who would become the all-mighty Hokage, had fallen. The only things that weren't falling were Sakura's tears that seemed to be stuck in her empty and almost expressionless eyes as she just stared down at the unconscious ninja resting on her lap._

_Sasuke had never seen Sakura so helpless, so powerless, so vulnerable, so scared before… She looked as if she had lost all reason to live and, when Sasuke took a step closer to his ex-teammates, Sakura didn't even have the strength to _glare_ at him, but she did make sure a kunai was in her hands, and her hands trembled as did the rest of her did._

_"Sakura, I just want to _talk_ to you." the Uchiha said, _inching_ a bit closer to her. It wasn't because he was _scared_ of her—_her_ who was a weakened, defenseless kunoichi. He was only taking his time because he didn't want to frighten the kunoichi._

_"I won't hurt you," he added._

_The kunoichi coughed a little, probably trying to scoff. "Yeah, right…" Her voice was so feeble, barely even audible. "Do you really _expect_ me to believe that? After all you did, do you really expect me to believe _you_? You tried to _kill_ Naruto on so many accounts, so many occasions… Do you really think I'd _trust_ you?"_

_"Sakura…" He put away his sword and knelt down besides the kunoichi, cleaning the blood off of said kunoichi's cheek._

_She didn't look up at him to try to figure out his plan for fear that he'd have the Sharingan activated. Instead, her eyes drifted to the scabbard and the sword inside._

_Sasuke saw her gaze, and a smirk almost tugged on his lips. "I won't hurt you…" he said again._

_"Do you think I'd trust someone who _killed_ his own men?"_

_"Technically, the people I killed weren't _my_ men. I'm part of the Chuutai, and they were part of the Kinnouka." But once Sasuke saw Sakura open her mouth to say something, he self-consciously added, "And yet, regardless, you must think I'm a cold heartless killer."_

_"No, not a killer…" Sakura muttered. "Just some crazy bastard…"_

_The Uchiha let out a chuckle and asked, "Is that what you're really thinking?"_

_Sakura narrowed her eyes and finally looked up at the Uchiha. "I know that you still think I'm the same annoying weakling I was before."_

_"I only asked for _your_ thoughts, not my own." Sasuke muttered this time, catching sight of the injury on Sakura's side. "How in the world does a medical-nin—"_

_"So you admit it," Sakura said, a little pissed off. She covered her wound with one of her hands and started healing it. "You still think of me as an annoying weakling."_

_The Uchiha rolled his eyes and sighed. "And you're probably thinking, '_I'll show him. I'll make him eat his words and show him I'm not as weak as he thinks,_' right?"_

_Sakura grimaced (or at least, _tried_ to). "Am I really that predictable?"_

_"Only sometimes."_

_Sakura scowled. "What? And you think you _aren't_?" Sasuke didn't answer, and Sakura had to fight off an urge to whack the emo bastard on the head. "You're probably thinking, '_She's all talk and no action,_' aren't you?"_

_"And '_Wait until he meets my fist,_' is what you're thinking, right?"_

_"Then you're probably thinking, '_I'll knock her out and put on that _freakin'_ bench again._'"_

_"Then you must be thinking, _'And if he_ is_, I'll get Naruto to hunt him down and annoy the Hell out of him._' Am I correct?"_

_"And you're thinking, '_I'll kill anyone who comes after me._'"_

_Sasuke sighed. "I already told you, Sakura. I won't hurt you."_

_"But you _will_ hurt Naruto and me when you bring us back to Madara."_

_"Then what do you want me to do?"_

_"Let us go…" Sakura suggested. "Don't make us go back to that deathtrap…"_

_The Uchiha just sighed. "You already have this all planned out, don't you?"_

_Sakura didn't answer his question. "Let us go…" she said again._

_"Sakura—"_

_"_Please_! You won't regret it! I promise, I'll get stronger, Sasuke, and so will you and Naruto. But we need to _live_ if we want to remove Madara from his throne and if we want to restore Konoha back to the state that it was before… Please…" Sakura pleaded. "I promise I'll get stronger… I promise… Just let Naruto and me go… I can protect him until we get back to the rebel base. Please… I know we can defeat Madara. We just need _time_ and, in that time, I promise . . . I'll get stronger, I promise…"_

"Looks like she kept her promise," the Uchiha muttered to himself.

"Come again?"

"Just talking to myself."

Ino frowned but, nevertheless, changed the subject. "So . . . how did she seem to you? Sakura, I mean."

"She seemed fine to me. A bit stronger, too."

"So . . . she almost _beat_ you?"

"Hn."

"Is that a '_no_'?"

"Ah."

"Damn it, Uchiha. I don't know _how_ Sakura could put up with you." But seeing that Sasuke was as quiet as before, Ino asked another question. "So . . . did she seem _prettier_ to you?"

"Hn."

"Is that a '_yes_'?"

"Ah."

"So . . . you're saying that she's _always_ been pretty?"

"Hn."

"_Aw_! That's so _cute_!" Ino squealed.

"What's '_so cute_'?" Anko asked, appearing by Ino's side.

But while Ino was starting rumors, Sasuke just stared up at the sky, wondering when Madara's time would come and when his knucklehead of a teammate would resurface again, yelling to the Heavens that he'll become Hokage.

* * *

**Hai = yes**

**Kougou Heika = Her/Your Majesty the Empress; Her/Your Highness**

**Shisou = master; teacher**

**Yay! This chapter's done and, yeah, I felt like putting in a small Tobi moment here because, in my opinion, Tobi is _better_ than Madara.**

**Oh and, for all of you who don't know too much about monarchies and how they're run, I'll just give you a down run of things. In monarchies, there is usually a king, queen, etc. or emperor, empress, etc. But when the ruler is a minor, the government usually selects someone to be the regent to act as head of state. And in my fanfiction, the Hanzoku chose Sakura to act as Empress (I like the word empress better than queen and it sounds more Asian, so that's why it's empress) since Naruto would be their choice for Hokage but, due to a difficulty (which you will find out about in the next chapter), Naruto cannot act as Emperor. And so . . . they chose Sakura because she was Naruto's teammate and the student of their fifth Hokage (and, as such, she has _some_ experience in politics). But even if Naruto wasn't in his difficult position and was emperor, he's still a minor and, as such, Tsunade would still be the Empress Dowager/Empress Regent.**

**If you guys still don't understand, please send me a note or something ,and I'll try to explain it better.**

**Oh, and, in the memory when it's all _you think blah-blah-blah_, yeah, about that . . . I was watching the Korean drama "_Autumn in My Heart_/_Autumn Fairytale_/가을동화/藍色生死戀/秋の童話" again, and I just thought it was cute, you know? Joon-suh and Eun-suh know each other so well that they know what the other is thinking, and so I thought it might be cute if I incorporate it into my fanfiction. Plus, I had no other idea for that memory so . . . yeah.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review!**


	5. Chapter 4: Whatever version Sakura

-Konoha 11 mysteriously disappears, and all that's left of them are memories but, when Sasuke goes to investigate, he meets up with the pink-haired rebellion empress. And what's this? Naruto's got amnesia! OMG! What the Hell is going on?

* * *

**Yay! I got the chapter up! Yay! And, like the last chapter, this chapter's named after Ayumi Hamasaki's song _Whatever_. There's two different original versions to _Whatever_, a version M and a version J. So yeah . . . Please enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Four

Whatever (version Sakura)

"So . . . you _didn't_ meet up with Sasuke?"

"No, Tsunade-shisou." Sakura lied. "I didn't encounter him on the mission. If I did, I would've told you about it. I guess I just simply . . . _misplaced_ my mask during the mission."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. She knew her apprentice wasn't _that_ careless nor would she lie to her, but that didn't make Sakura a bad liar. In fact, Sakura was one of the _best_ liars the Hanzoku had in its arsenal. And she was one of the reasons—actually, she was the _main_ reason—why the Hanzoku hadn't been caught or found out yet. False leads, false information . . . they were _all_ courtesy of the Haruno.

And Tsunade knew that Sakura would tell her anything that was important so, for Sakura not to tell her, it probably meant that the information she withheld was most likely trivial.

_But still . . ._ the used-to-be Hokage thought, _It'd be nice if she told me what was bothering her. _But nevertheless, Tsunade signed the mission report and dismissed the pink-haired kunoichi who walked out of the tent. And seeing her come out of the tent, the brown-haired weapons mistress came up to her.

"Sakura, what are you going to do?" Tenten asked, making sure she kept her voice in a whisper. She had heard everything that went on in Tsunade's marquee, so she was quite worried about Sakura's emotional psyche. Doubting someone could make that said person very upset especially with the war going on so, yeah, Tenten just wanted to make sure her friend was alright.

"About your mask, I mean." she added, just in case Sakura thought she was referring to and talking about the Uchiha. "You know, I think yours was even more expensive than Lady Tsunade's, and _she's_ the Empress Dowager."

"I know… I was quite fond of it, too." the pink-haired kunoichi sighed, leaning against the trunk of a large tree. She wanted to find her mask, yes—her priceless, thousand-dollar, porcelain, butterfly-mask with small exotic gems to show her high rank—but the last time she could remember when she had worn her mask was on that mission . . . when she met Sasuke again after so long…

_And still, after so long… _She could still hear her heart beating as if there were no tomorrow. She couldn't deny it anymore. She still loved that cold, heartless bastard. She wanted to be by his side; she wanted to be with him… _Why do I still feel this way?_ she asked herself. She still loved him, the guy who had hurt her so many times before. She couldn't deny it, and she didn't _want_ to deny it anymore.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"Sakura, tell me the truth." Tenten said after an intensive spar (which she lost). "Now, I may not be Ino, but I know you well enough to know that there's something on your mind that's bothering you. Care to tell me?"

"No…" Sakura sighed, sitting down on the soft grass. She pulled up the leg of her pants and started to heal the gash on her ankle. "It's nothing, Tenten…"

"Haruno Sakura," Tenten said, putting her hands on her hips. "We've been friends since . . . since . . . well, I can't remember since when, but I know we've been friends for a _very_ long time—well, maybe not as long as you and Ino, but still . . . you understand, right?"

Sakura giggled. "Come on, Tenten. Get to the point already, would ya?"

"Okay, okay." the weapons mistress said. "The point is that you can tell me _anything_, Sakura. I won't judge you, you know, and this is coming from the bottom of my heart."

"Yes, yes, I know, Tenten. Your heart's _so_ huge. You already told me so many times before." The cherry blossom stood from her seat and dusted off her pants.

Tenten ignored that comment and was kind of upset that her friend was leaving so quickly. "Okay, I know you went from rags to riches and that you're busy, Sakura, but where could you possibly be going to _now_? I mean, you just came back from a mission. It can't be anything that you can't hold off until later, can it?"

"Apparently, it can. I'm going to visit Naruto."

"Oh, right…" Tenten chuckled sheepishly as her cheeks turned red. How could she forget? "Naruto's really lucky to have both you and Hinata by his side."

"Yeah, well, I haven't visited him in a while, so—"

"Oh, _come on_, Saki!" Tenten said, laying on her back. "Naruto can't hold this against you. I don't even think that he'd remember anything that's going on now since Madara almost fucked him up beyond recognition[1]."

"Well, let's just hope for the best." Sakura said. "Plus, that just sounded wrong . . . whatever you said."

Tenten shrugged and ignored that last comment. "It'll happen in the fullness of time, Sakura, so don't you worry. He'll cross that bridge when he gets to it."

"Yeah, I'll start worrying when you _don't_ use an idiom."

"Hey, in this day and age, if you worry too much then you're labeled as a paranoid fussbudget."

Sakura rolled her eyes and started walking away.

"_Hora_!"

The rebellion empress stopped and turned around. "Yeah?"

"Is the glass half-empty or half-full[2]?"

"Half-full," Sakura answered. "_Always_ half-full…"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"Hey, Hinata…" Sakura greeted the Hyuga heir, quietly, as she walked into the infirmary tent.

"Sakura-chan, you're back from your month-long mission!" Hinata exclaimed as she embraced the Haruno, almost on the verge of tears. "Thank the gods that you came back safe!"

"I'm sorry for scaring you, Hinata, but I'm perfectly fine." the pink-haired kunoichi said, pulling away from the hug.

There was an annoying beeping sound somewhere close by that interrupted the close-friends-almost-like-sisters moment, and the two kunoichi turned their attention to the blonde on the bed. It wasn't a normal bed he laid on—it had rails like the ones in a hospital. Also like a hospital were the monitors strapped to Naruto's body, the tubes stuck into his skin.

"He hasn't woken up yet?"

Hinata shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not… There haven't been any changes in his condition either." she sighed. "Sakura, I'm scared. Naruto has always been a loose cannon, always getting into trouble . . . and now look at where his antics got him. Why, he's practically in the lion's den—"

Sakura rolled her emerald eyes and groaned. "Oh my Kami-sama…"

"Gomennasai, Sakura, but Tenten and her team got to me…"

The Haruno tried to smile. "It's . . . it's okay, Hinata. It's mostly my fault anyway… I've been gone on missions for _far_ too long, and I've left you here with them for all that time… From now on, I'll _try_ to spend some more time here at the base."

"It's fine, Sakura-chan. I . . . I understand. You have to go on those missions to keep our noses clean"—But when the Hyuga noticed Sakura's wary eyes, she corrected herself—"I mean, to keep the Hanzoku out of trouble."

"And by the sounds of it, I'll be taking _a lot_ of vacation time."

"Sakura, you can't just shirk your responsibilities because of _me_." Hinata said. "After all, you _are_ the Empress of the Hanzoku."

At that, Sakura let out a giggle. "Yeah, I know. One usually doesn't forget her job especially if it's one of the _hardest_ jobs in the whole ninja world . . . so don't remind me, Hinata." Then she turned to the sleeping ninja and sighed. "I don't understand _why_ he wants to get into politics. Everyone's so stiff-necked… Oh dear Kami, I think I'm in more of a lion's den than Naruto is, and that's _sayin'_ something."

"Yep, politics are always a swim with the sharks." Hinata said. "I should know… I had to attend _most_ of my father's meetings with him… Man, were they a pain in the neck…"

Again, Sakura rolled her eyes. "I swear, if I hear _another_ idiom—"

"Tell it to Naruto[3]." Hinata said, ending Sakura's little rant and earning a glare from said Haruno girl. "Oh, by the way, how was the mission?"

Sakura sighed. "Hinata, you know I don't like talking about my missions. And—oh, for Kami's sake, Tenten's rubbing off on me but—I'd like to keep the skeletons in the closet."

"Sakura-san, I understand that perfectly, but"—Hinata was suddenly occupied with observing the monitor—"Never mind."

"What is it, Hinata?"

"Oh, _nothing_, nothing." the Hyuga laughed nervously. "Nothing at all."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "_Hinata_?"

"Well, compared to the mission, it's just apples and oranges[4]."

Sakura crossed her arms. "Hinata…"

The dark blue-haired girl chuckled again as if she were a suspect in a homicide case. "I don't think you want to know about it, Sakura. It's not _exactly_ a bed of roses, you know."

"Okay, Hinata, you're my friend and all, but if you think you're going to get away with not telling me all that you know and using another idiom then I'll hang you by a thread, so you _better_ tell me all that you know."

"_Anoo_…"

Seeing that the Hyuga was still hesitant, Sakura added to her friendly threat. "Hinata…"—she started out smiling—"I am—well, I _used_ to be—the student of Hatake Kakashi, the copycat ninja who could scare off _any_ of his enemies. I used to be under Yamato's supervision, the supervision of some _weirdo_ who could get his subordinates to tell him _anything_. I was Lady Tsunade's apprentice, and being the apprentice of the _scariest_ woman in the ninja world makes one fearless. I'm still Naruto's teammate even though he's in a coma and, being in said knucklehead's company for so long, learning to take risks is a requirement. From Sai, I've learned to hide my emotions. And even though he's my _ex_-teammate, I've learned a thing or two from Sasuke about getting revenge despite our limited time together. In short,"—her smile disappeared, and she leaned towards Hinata, making her soft whispers heard—"You are in as much danger as a small fish who's in shark-infested waters, so what do you say to _that_?"

"I say…" Hinata breathed. "That . . . you should spend less time with the Uchiha."

Sakura scoffed a bit. "I haven't even _seen_ him. Why would you say . . . that…?" Suddenly, as Sakura saw Hinata's closed eyes and her please-don't-hate-me look, realization began to sink in. "Oh Kami-sama…"

"Gomennasai, Sakura-chan…" Hinata said. "I tried, but—"

Sakura wanted to punch something. This was why she didn't want to get into politics. There were just_ too many _complications—rumors being the biggest annoyance. This was, like—_what_?—maybe the _sixth_ or _seventh_ time in a whole _month_ that a new rumor resurfaced. "What are the rumors saying this time, huh? That I'm _sleeping_ with him? Or are they saying that I'm _pregnant_ with his child?"

"Sakura, we all know the rumors aren't true, and—"

"Hinata, what _are_ they saying?" Sakura asked, this time a lot more softer. "Are they _really_ saying all those horrible things about me?"

Hinata couldn't even look her friend in the eye. ". . . H-Hai…"

"Oh my Kami-sama! I don't _believe_ this!" She paced around, her hands on her hips. She wanted to yell, but she bit her lip. Yelling wasn't going to do her any good nor would it help her. _But at least I'd feel better…_

She threw her head back and groaned. "I hate this _so_ much…" Then she turned to look at the unconscious Naruto. "Hm…" she sighed. "I wished he'd wake up and take his place as the Hanzoku's Emperor. That way, I could resign from being Empress."

"But you're doing such a good job!" Hinata protested. "Even _better_ than Lady Tsunade!"

The pink-haired kunoichi giggled. "Now I _know_ you're lying."

The two kunoichi shared a laugh but, like before, that annoying beeping broke that happy moment, and they both glanced at Naruto and sighed.

"But still . . . it'd be nice if he _did_ wake up."

"Yeah…"

Sakura rested a hand on Hinata's should. "Oy, Naruto," she spoke to the dormant shinobi. "You _better_ wake up soon or Hinata here will have to move on."

"Sa-_Sakura-san_!" Hinata's face turned red, and she could feel the heat in her cheeks.

"_What_?" Sakura laughed. "It might as well be true. If he keeps sleeping, your father will probably marry you off before he wakes up."

"_Sakura-san_!"

"_What_? Did I say something _untrue_?"

"No! It's just that . . . Naruto's like an older brother to you—you've even said it yourself—so how in the world could you tease him so?"

"Well, you see me teasing Ashitaka every _second_ I get, so how is this surpising?"

Hinata playfully nudged the rebellion empress, and the two giggled, sharing a moment, until Sakura realized something.

"Hey, speaking of Ashitaka," she asked, "Does my older brother know about the rumors?"

"I don't . . . I don't _think_ so." Hinata answered. "I mean, isn't he supposed to come back from his mission toda—"

_Knock! Knock!_

"Come in!"

"_Hora_, Sakura!" Shikamaru yelled from the entrance, opening the door. "Your older brother's back!"

"Ashitaka? Really?" Sakura asked. She was glad, of course, that her brother was back safe and sound (and _alive_). After all, he had been gone for a while already, and she had gotten tired of waiting for so long.

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah, but he seemed a bit angry about something, and he _demanded_ to see you."

"_Angry_?" Sakura's face fell then. _He must have heard about the rumors then… _"Shimatta! I better go see him then."

Hinata whispered an "_O genki de_" to her friend, and Sakura was already halfway out the door, but she stopped to turn back to ask the Hyuga something.

"Hey, Hinata. Was my interrogation speech better this time?"

"Hm . . . it _has_ improved—you really scared me this time—but I think you could've done better with_out_ the question at the end. Maybe change it a bit." the Hyuga suggested.

Sakura nodded her head, agreeing with the dark-haired girl. "Arigato!" And she left the infirmary, glancing back at Naruto.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"So . . . she _did_ meet up with her ex-teammate?" An infuriated brown-haired warrior paced around his tent. "The one that tried to _kill_ her and Naruto?"

"Hai," San answered. "But nothing happened. They just hugged, that's it. Hear me out, Ashitaka. You should stop holding a grudge against that Uchiha. Sasuke _did_ help your sister and Naruto escape from the Kinnouka. Maybe—"

"Yes, but that was only _once_." Ashitaka protested against his wife. "We don't know what his intentions are and, regardless, I don't want him anywhere _near_ my sister."

"But, Ashitaka—"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Oh, come in, Sakura." San said, recognizing her sister-in-law's scent. "The door's opened."

Walking into the room, Sakura greeted her brother and his wife. Ashitaka bowed his head slightly and gestured to a seat, and the kunoichi sat down.

"I heard you just got back from your mission." he said. From the sound of his voice, the two women in the room knew that he wasn't happy.

"H-Hai, Oniisama." Sakura answered hesitantly. She knew instantly what he was getting at. "But I didn't—"

"You didn't _what_?" Ashitaka asked. "Meet up with the Uchiha?"

"Oniisama!"

"Ashitaka, _please_!"

But ignoring his wife's protest, Ashitaka continued his harassment speech—or as Sakura and San liked to call it, his "_way of showing his love_."

"I have made myself _clear_ about this on _several_ different occasions." the loving older brother said. "I don't want you _seeing_ that kid. It's for your own good."

"_Oniisama_!"

"Don't fight with me, Sakura!" Ashitaka commanded, his voice a bit raised. "I'm still your older brother, no matter how old you get! And if I don't want you doing something, I _do_ have a reason—and usually, it's a good one."

"Ashitaka, please. Sakura hasn't done anythin—"

"And pray tell, what is your oh-so-_wonderful_ reason?" the pink-haired kunoichi asked, her glare could rival that of Sasuke's.

"Sakura, he's _related_ to Madara!"

"But that doesn't make him _evil_! Plus, they're a few times removed from each other!"

"He tried to _kill_ you and Naruto, _more_ than once."

"And he's _saved_ us, _more_ than once."

"Sakura," Ashitaka said, his patience running thin. "He's hurt you more than anyone else. He _left_ Konoha, he was taught by another Konoha traitor, he _killed_ his teacher and his _brother_, he _attacked_ the Kages, he _killed_ the Konoha Elders, and he _tried_ to _kill_ Naruto and you! He left both you and Naruto! And he'd do it again. Why, he even left you on a _bench_ even after you offered your assistance!"

"_Ashitaka_!" San snapped. Both she and her husband knew it was a taboo to mention _that event_, so how could Ashitaka do that?

Sakura was suddenly occupied with her hands.

"He tried to _kill_ you, Sakura…" Ashitaka said. "And he hurt you."

When Sakura glanced back up at her brother, her glare intensified by tenfold. "What? And you _haven't_?"

"Sakura, I had no choice. The Elders—"

"The Elders! _The Elders_! THE ELDERS! They're _always_ your excuse! Always! _Always_! ALWAYS!"

"I _won't_ be spoken to like that, young lady."

"Or _what_?" Sakura asked, tears forming in her eyes. "You're _not_ my father…"

And almost on instinct, Ashitaka reprimanded his sister—_smack!_—right across her face. It didn't really hurt Sakura, just shocked her. Her brother had never done that before—he had never _slapped_ her before. So it was only natural for her to be in shock and for her hand to tremble as it touched her cheek. She blinked her eyes, trying to hold back tears.

Realizing what he did, Ashitaka tried to apologize. "Sakura, I—"

"You know what?" Sakura stood from her seat, continuing to glare at her brother. "Just forget it!" she said. "_Just_ . . ." She shook her head as she spoke. "Just drop it, okay?" And she ran out of the tent, leaving her older brother to drown in his guilt.

San shook her head. "You know, you didn't have to bring up this whole conversation in the first place." she said. "I already told you that _nothing_ happened except for that hug! And you didn't have to be so harsh with her either!"

"San, she—"

"She still loves him, Ashitaka! She'd still do anything for him, and she'd—"

"THAT'S WHY I DON'T WANT HER _NEAR_ HIM!" Ashitaka exclaimed. "He'll take advantage of her, and he'll only hurt her again!"

"That's what I said about Lady Eboshi. And do you remember what you said? You told me that _everyone_ should get a second chance, no matter how bad their mistake was—that _everyone_ has good in their hearts. What happened to that, huh? What happened to—"

"San, please, I—"

"No, Ashitaka. What you need to do is follow your own advice." And with that, San walked out of the tent to find her sister-in-law.

In the loneliness, Ashitaka sighed. "What am I going to _do_ with her?" he asked himself, referring to his younger sister. He knew he was wrong, but could anyone blame him for trying to keep his sister out of harm's way even if it meant that he'd have to keep her from the one she loved? God, sometimes, he wished he didn't have a younger sister while, sometimes, he wished his parents were still around to deal with her…

"What is it, Sai? I know you're there."

"Ashitaka-kun," the artist said from the door. "The Empress Dowager would like to see both you and your sister in her corridor _now_."

* * *

**Arigato = thank you**

**Gomennasai = I'm sorry**

**Hora = hey**

**Kami/Kami-sama = God**

**O genki de = good luck**

**Oniisama = older brother**

**Shimatta = damn it**

**[1] = the idiom Tenten uses here is _FUBAR_ (Fucked Up Beyond Recognition). This idiom was used specifically to refer to the state of being overly confused or bewildered.**

**[2] = what Tenten means by asking the question "_Is the glass half-empty or half-full?_" is that she's trying to ask Sakura if she's thinking about the negative side of things or the positive side. And so, when Sakura answers "_always half-full_," it means that she's always looking on the positive side of things.**

**[3] = a reference to the idiom "_Tell it to the marines_" which means "_I do not believe what you said_."**

**[4] = the idiom "_apples and oranges_" means to be/compare two different things**

**Phew, I am done with this chapter! Yay! Oh, and San, Ashitaka, and Lady Eboshi are all from the anime movie _Princess Mononoke_ (in case you didn't know). I hope you liked this chapter! And please review!**


	6. Chapter 5: Being with you again

-Konoha 11 mysteriously disappears, and all that's left of them are memories but, when Sasuke goes to investigate, he meets up with the pink-haired rebellion empress. And what's this? Naruto's got amnesia! OMG! What the Hell is going on?

* * *

**_Finally_! I got the chapter up! Hip-Hip-Hooray! Sorry it took so long, but I had my other fanfictions to do, so yeah… Sorry, again… Oh, and this chapter is named after BoA's _be with you_. Please enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Five

Being with you again

"No, no! I think the pink one is better, Anko—oh, wait! This blue one brings out your eyes!"

Sasuke groaned. How in the world did Ino drag him shopping with her and Anko? No, no, a better question would be: why did he _let_ her drag him into her family shop that now also sold dresses and _only_ dresses? (Yes, over the years, the Yamanaka Flower Store had developed into a small shopping mall which still sold flowers but also dresses, make-up, perfume, jewelry—you know, a lot of _girl_ stuff.)

_Ugh, how I'd like to _kill_ myself right now…_ the Uchiha thought.

"Oy, Sasuke! What do you think?" he heard Ino's screeching voice call to him.

"Eiya! Why are you asking for _his_ opinion?" Anko shot back. "He's not even my _date_!"

"Anko, just do as the pig says!" Sasuke yelled. "The faster you do, the sooner we can get out of here!"

"See, Anko?" he heard Ino say. "Even the cold, heartless bastard agrees with me! Now get out and strut your stuff!"

"_EXCUSE ME_?" Anko sounded terrified as Ino pushed, dragged, and pulled her out of the dressing room. She kept tripping on her high-heels, and she kept pulling on the dress. Anko looked completely self-conscious, uncomfortable, and embarrassed.

The Uchiha mentally smirked. It was the _perfect_ revenge for all of Anko's sticking-her-nose-into-his-business habit. He quickly examined the dress and came up with insults that put the judges of Konoha's Next Top Model[1] to shame.

"Too frilly, too much glitter, too tight around the chest, too loose around the waist, too revealing, too long, too bright on the sleeves, too dull on the skirt, the color looks sickly—almost out of style—hair doesn't suit it, shoes don't match it; in all, it's too feminine for a tomboy like Anko."

Anko's mouth almost dropped but, inside her head, she was mentally thanking the Uchiha. At the very least, she didn't have to wear _that_ dress.

However . . . Ino, on the other hand, was _furious_. "How dare you say that, Uchiha? It took me _forever_ to make that dress!"

"Oh . . . no wonder I don't like it." Sasuke said, reading the newspaper he just suddenly picked up.

"Oy, Madara never said that we had to be _civilized_ at the soirée, so just you wait! I'll get my revenge then!" Ino said, _almost_ menacingly. "Oh, you won't even know the _meaning_ of the word when I get through with you!"

"Remember who you're _talking_ _to_, Yamanaka."

A sweat-drop appeared on the blonde's head then. "Oh, right… Eh-heh-heh…"

"Hn." Sasuke placed the papers on the glass table in front of him and stood from his seat. "Anko, don't forget we have to check with the national guards before the cotillion tonight. I'll be waiting in the lobby. _Ten_ _minutes_, Anko, or I'll go by myself."

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

It was official. Anko was _so_ dead once Sasuke was done with check-up duty with the guards. Why, he had even waited an _extra_ five minutes for her. Man, was he pissed off now! If you had stepped into the same room as him, you would've run right out!

"That's it," he muttered. "Anko, I'm leaving!" But as he opened the door (which rang a small bell), he bumped into something—or rather, some_one_—and he fell backwards (some shinobi…) with the person falling right on top of him.

"Oh my Kami, I'm _so_ sorry! I—" The girl stopped speaking once she caught sight of Sasuke's face and how close hers was to his. Her eyes widened, and she began to tremble slightly.

However, luckily for her, Sasuke dismissed her actions. "Miss., would you get off of me?"

"Oh, right… Gomen, gomen…" The girl stood followed by the Uchiha, but there was a sharp pain in her ankle, and she fell forward.

But, fortunately, the Uchiha didn't fall with her this time and caught her before she could hurt herself anymore. "Clumsy, aren't you?"

The girl blushed then but kept on an angry façade. "Well, I'm _sorry_ if I re-opened a wound because some _jerk_ didn't look where he was going!"

"Kami, you're annoying…"

"_EXCUSE ME_?" the girl screeched, her voice almost sounded like Sakura's. "Why, I ought—_Itai_!"

Sasuke caught her again. "You ought _what_?"

"Never mind… Just let me sit on that couch."

And the Uchiha helped her over to a seat.

"Arigato," she thanked him.

"Do you want me to get a medic down here?"

"No, I'm fine." the girl said as she touched her injured ankle with a chakra-infused palm. "_See_?" she asked as she moved foot. "All better!"

"Good to know," Sasuke said as he turned his back on the girl. He heard her shuffle through her purse, probably taking out her cell phone, because the next thing Sasuke heard was the girl pressing some buttons that made similar beeping sounds. The Uchiha didn't care what she was doing and was already out the door. He only stopped when he heard who she was calling.

"Hey, Pig! I'm back in Liao[2]!" the girl said.

And sure enough, on the other line, Ino made a squealing reply. "_REALLY_?" She was so loud that the girl had to hold her cell phone a couple of inches away from her ear. "YOU'RE _IN_ THE CITY?"

The girl put the phone back against her ear. "_Yes_, Ino, I'm in the city, and stop your screeching. I don't want the Kinnouka to know that I'm here…"

_So she's part of the Hanzoku…_ Sasuke thought as he walked back into the store. _No wonder I haven't seen her around before…_

"Okay, okay, I'll be quiet, but I'm just so surprised! _Happy_ surprised! I haven't seen you in over a _year_, and now I hear from you, and you say you're in the city! You don't know _how_ happy I am!" Ino's voice quieted by a surprising amount—much more than expected. "Where are you now?" she asked. "I'll come get you."

"There's really no need to, Ino-chan." the girl said. "I'm perfectly fine by myself." She giggled a few couple of times.

But unbeknownst to her, Sasuke's eyes travelled her body. She was a small thing, that girl. The only word that could describe her was _cute_. In her gothic boots, she had some volume. In addition to her boots, she wore black thigh-high socks with red and white hearts going up the sides. Her red grid dress added to her beauty while her leather jacket with silver buttons gave her outfit some kind of fullness. And she wore a red hair-band with a ribbon that matched her black hair with red highlights that brought out her chocolate brown eyes. Her face was round but still angular—kind of like Sakura's. In fact, the girl could've _been_ Sakura. She even had the same exact phone as her! The only things that made Sasuke doubt that fact were her hair which was much longer than the pink-haired kunoichi's (and a different color) and her eyes.

"Alright, if you insist then," the girl said into the phone, "Just come down, Pig!"

"_WHAT_?" Ino went back to screeching, and the girl went back to holding her phone far from her ear. "YOU'RE _IN_ MY SHOP? FOR REAL?" Ino sounded as if she were crying.

"_Inside voice_, Ino. _Inside voice…_" the girl said.

"I know, I know…" Ino said, stifling a sniffle. "But I'm just so . . . so happy… I haven't seen you since _last year_… I thought_… _You could've _died…_ You don't know how worried I was… I'm so happy… I really am…"

The girl was on the verge of tears as well. "Well, come down then and our year of separation will be over."

"Tell her to bring Anko down, too." Sasuke told her.

Ino's friend almost jumped. She had thought that the Uchiha had left the store so, when she saw that he was still there, watching her, she had gotten the scare of her life. But nevertheless, she listened to the Uchiha and told Ino, "The girl Anko's with you, right? Well, the cute _jerk_ here wants her downstairs _pronto_."

"Fine, but _you_—you stay right where you are." Ino said over the phone. "Me and Anko will be right down." And she hung up.

"So . . . you know Yamanaka?"

The girl glanced at the Uchiha and snapped, "Her name's _Ino_, you know."

"Hn." Sasuke shrugged.

"So . . . why are you still here anyway?" the girl asked. "I thought you _left_."

"You reminded me of someone I know."

"Oh, _really_?" The girl raised an eyebrow. "Is she cute?"

"Is that really any of your business?"

The girl giggled and muttered something along the lines of "I see _you_ haven't changed a bit."

Now it was Sasuke's turn to raise an eyebrow. Who did this girl think she was? And not only that, she wasn't fawning over him like any other girl who met him. Who _was_ she?

But before he could ask, there was the sound of someone running down the stairs—_thunk-thunk-thunk-thunk-thunk-thunk-thunk_—and then a door slam—_bam!_—and then those sounds repeated two more times until Ino opened the door to the lobby.

And once the Yamanaka saw her friend, she let out a horribly loud squeal. "OH—MY—KAMI! YOU'RE _HERE_!" And she attacked the girl with a _huge_ bear hug. "I can't believe it! I can't believe it! Oh, I really _can't_! Oh my Kami-sama! You're here! You're here…"

"Oy, Ino! If you don't stop choking her, she won't be staying here for long!" Anko teased.

"Oh, right…" Ino said, blushing like crazy while letting go of her friend. "Gomennasai, Sa—"

"_Kaya_!" the girl suddenly said. "My name's _Kaya_, Ino-chan. Saya's my _cousin's_ name."

Suspicious eyes watched her but, knowing that her friend needed the cover of an alias, Ino tried to help her.

"Oh, _right_! Right! I almost forgot!" the blonde said. "You look so much like your cousin, though, so how could you _blame_ me?"

"You're just exaggerating, Ino!" Anko said, looking over at . . . err, Kaya. "Sa—I mean, Kaya doesn't look _anything_ like Saya at all! In fact, Kaya is so much _prettier_! And so much nicer!"

"Oh? I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right! I—"

"Anko!" the Uchiha spoke for the first time since the two kunoichi came down. "Stop your fooling around! Don't forget that we still have a job to do before the cotillion starts."

"Oh, yeah. Gomen ne…" Anko kissed Kaya on the cheek and bid her farewell. As she walked out of the store, she muttered something that sounded like "Stupid ice-cube… Always ruining my fun…"

"Yeah, yeah, keep talking. Just remember: _you_ were the one screaming for help when Ino made you put on a dress." the Uchiha retorted as he shut the door, unaware of the fact that a pair of spring green eyes watched him.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Ino held tightly onto her friend's soft hand, suppressing back a cry. She felt as though she couldn't breathe, much less believe she was awake. "I really can't believe you're here…" she said, her smile never ceasing. "You don't know how happy I am…"

"Oh, I think I do…" Kaya said, combing Ino's bangs behind her ears. "Just as you worried about me, _I_ was worried about _you_… I almost went _insane_ just thinking about you staying in this place… The fact that I can still _see_ you again, that I can still _talk_ to you…"

Ino nodded her head, telling her friend that she knew what she meant and that she needn't go on. "Wow… We must be really . . . really…"—Ino was so happy she couldn't even find the correct word—"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, definitely."

"So . . ." Ino said while wiping away a tear. "What's with the visit all of the sudden? I mean, you coming here—endangering your life and using such a _phony_ pseudonym—while you have so much work to do… I know there's a reason, and I _know_ you're not here just to visit me, Billboard Brow. You can't fool me."

Kaya giggled. "You're thinking too much, Ino-pig. I'm not trying to fool anyone."

"Oh, _really_? Then why were you trying so hard to hide your identity from Mr. Used-to-be-your-_Hot_-Teammate?"

Kaya forced out a nervous chuckle and shook her head as she tried to find a reasonable excuse. "I don't know…" was her answer. "I guess I was . . . I was scared. I didn't . . . I didn't _want_ him to . . . to recognize me _at the time_."

"'_At the time_'?"

"_Yes_, Ino. '_At the time_.'" Kaya answered, a bit frustrated. "I just . . . _it_ just . . . I don't know. It just . . . _happened_… When you were about to say my name, I just . . . froze. I got so scared for some reason. The words just came out of my mouth."

"Just came out of your mouth, huh?" Ino asked, putting a hand to her chin as she thought. "_Strange_ but workable…"

Kaya nudged her. "Hey, don't go getting any crazy match-making ideas, okay? The last thing I want is trouble especially relationship problems, so . . . don't get involved with this, okay?"

"Okay, okay…" Ino frowned. "But can you _at least_ tell me _why_ you're here?"

"I shouldn't be telling you this, but…" Kaya glanced around the room, and then she cupped her hand around Ino's ear. "I'm supposed to be attending Madara's little soirée as a representative of Irontown along with my brother and Sai, but it's really a recon mission to see how many allies Madara has and who they are."

"_Really_?"

"Yes, _really_. Do you think I'd _lie_ to you about something like this?"

"No, what I mean was, '_You're attending the cotillion_?'"

Kaya rolled her eyes. _Leave it to Ino to worry about the trivial things. Oh, well, at least I know she hasn't changed all _that_ much…_ "Yes, I'm going to the stupid ball. Why?"

"You're not going looking like _that_, are you?"

The girl looked at her clothed. "What's wrong with the way I look?"

"Well, for starters, it's a _formal_ ball, so you definitely can't go in there looking like a _punk_." Ino said, glancing up and down her friend's outfit. "And secondly—"

"You already put together something for me to wear, now _didn't_ you?"

And Ino nodded her head, her eyes pleading.

Kaya groaned in defeat. "Fine, fine. I leave myself in your _capable_ and _fashionable_ hands."

"Alright! This is going to be so much _fun_!" Ino squealed. "But we'll have to get started right away if we want to finish in time."

"Eh? _Right_ . . . _away_?" Kaya asked, now changing her mind. "Actually, you know what? I think I hear my brother calling me…"—and she made a run towards the door—"_Coming_, Oniisama!"

"Oh no, you _don't_!" Ino said as she dragged her victim—I mean, _friend_—up to the dressing room. "No friend of _mine_ is going to look like a _punk_, not if _I _can help it."

"But . . . but…" Kaya was stuck on that word as she tried to think of an excuse. "Ashitaka-oniisama's—"

"_Aw_, tell the sourpuss to stow it. Oh, and speaking of that older brother of yours, where _is_ he anyway, Saki? And Sai, too? I thought you said they came with you."

"They _did_, but I had to ditch them in order to come here." Kaya said, combing her hair. Out of her disguise, her pink hair went up to her shoulders.

"You _ditched_ them?" Ino asked, revelation decorated her voice. "_Wow_… Didn't know you had it in you, Forehead."

"Well, neither did I." the girl said as Ino began measuring her waist, chest, and height. "They probably still think I'm scouting the area or something."

"Well, _did_ you?"

"Of course, I did, Pig! What do you think I'd do? _Endanger_ my brother and my friend's lives?"

"Hold still!" Ino growled as she re-measured Sakura's chest.

"Gomen ne…" the pink-haired kunoichi sighed. "But seriously . . . did you really _think_ that I'd do something so selfish and stupid?"

"Nope… Definitely no…" Ino mumbled as she went over the measurements in her head. "Hm… The waist is too big, and the chest's too small. Sakura, I need you to put on the dress before I make any adjustments."

"Aw, _must_ you?"

"Yes . . . unless you want to look like you have a shapeless waist and a really tight chest."

Sakura grimaced. "Who the Hell did you use as the model anyway?"

"Anko."

"Well, _that_ explains it. You've clearly forgotten that I'm a lot _skinner_ and my chest is _bigger_ than hers."

"Ooh, do I sense some kind of _rivalry_ between you and Anko? And is it over Mr. Hot-Stuff-And-Still-Single?"

"_Who_?"

"Sasuke-kun!"

"_WHAT_?" Sakura asked, her cheeks turning bright red. "Of course not! Wh-why would you think _that_?"

"Because you _love_ him and because you're _jealous_ that Anko can spend so much more time with him than you can!"

"Why would I be jealous of _that_?"

"Because you _LOVE_ him!"

"INO! _Itai_!"

"I thought I told you to hold still!"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"Who was that girl?"

"_Who_? Kaya?"

"No, the girl with the big mouth," Sasuke answered sarcastically. "Who do you _think_ I was talking about?"

"Oh… Right… Eh-heh…" Anko laughed nervously, feeling a bit stupid. And still feeling awkward, she just stood back and watched as Sasuke asked the guard a series of questions.

It was the last guard they were suppose to interview before heading off to prepare for the cotillion themselves (though they both didn't want to attend it) and then meet some of the guests, have a fun night, and pretend they _weren't_ shinobi. Pretty much a waste of time, if you'd ask every ninja in Liao. But to the Uchiha warlord . . . the cotillion/soirée meant . . . _a lot_.

"The girl, Anko?" Sasuke asked once they were out of the guard's earshot.

"Oh, right…" Anko jumped, snapping out of her thoughts. "_Anoo_ . . . her name's Kaya—_anoo_ . . . Emishi Kaya. She . . . she's a good fighter . . . a better medic, very smart. Independent, too. She . . . she went through a few tough times . . . got through them though." Anko seemed to be holding back tears, pursing her lips and pausing to take a breath every now and then. "_Etto_ . . . she has a brother, an _older_ brother. His name's Emishi Ashitaka—a pretty strong warrior, if you ask everyone who knows him, and just as smart as his sister. Handsome, too. He's actually quite the charmer."

"_Emishi Ashitaka_?" Sasuke asked, the name ringing back some memories.

_Sakura's cell phone vibrated, and so she looked at the caller ID. Her face immediately lit up. "_Oniisama_!" she answered the call. "I didn't expect you to call me so soon. How are you? . . . _What_? Emishi Ashitaka, you're getting _married_? . . . Wow! That's . . . that's _great_! I'm so happy for you and San! When's the wedding?"_

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

_"Gomennasai, Oniisama." Sakura said into her phone. "I might not be able to attend your engagement. Something came up… Yeah, the mission's being extended… Yeah… Gomen ne, Oniisama… Yeah, I'll talk to you when I get back."_

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

_"Yeah, Ashitaka, I'm on my way _now_." Sakura said into her cell phone, trying to put on her high-heel shoes as Ino fixed her hair which had been messed up during a previous spar. "_Of course_, I'm coming, Oniisama! I'm the sister of the groom and the maid-of-honor, for Kami's sake! I'll be there in less than _five_ minutes flat! If not, Heaven take me now."_

"Isn't he related to Sakura?"

And Anko froze at that. "Wh-wh-wh-what do-do-do you-you mean?"

"Eh, nothing much." the Uchiha shrugged. He knew that Anko was bad—no, _horrible_—at lying, and so, if he worded his sentences carefully, he could get what he wanted out of her. "Just that, during the two months I was in Konoha, Sakura had gotten these phone calls from him, and she called him '_Oniisama_.' Care to tell my _why_?"

"Oh, _that_… Well…" Anko said while scratching her head. She was sweating a puddle of discomfort as she tried to think of a story. "Oh, they're close friends… And they…"—suddenly, Anko looked down at her watch—"Oh! Would you look at that? I need to, _anoo_, get ready for the soirée. _Etto_ . . . I'll see you there, Sasuke!" And in a hurried manner, the tomboyish lady left the area.

"Hn." Sasuke shrugged. _Well, _that_ was a waste of time, _he thought, and soon his thoughts went back to Ino's friend. She reminded him so much of Sakura, and her background info (though very little) matched that of Sakura's. He just needed to find out about this "_Ashitaka_" person. _Oh, well, no need to worry. I'll find out about him soon enough. That Kaya girl seems to be as inept as Anko. I'll get the information out of her. Easy as pie._

* * *

**Eiya = ugh; damn; ah; my God!**

**Etto = let me see; well; errr...**

**Gomen, gomen = sorry, sorry**

**Gomen ne = sorry**

**Itai = ow; ouch**

**[1] = reference to America's Next Top Model**

**[2] = Liao shall be the name of Madara's empire until further notice**

**Whew! Long chapter, huh? Well, hopefully, the next one won't be as long, and hopefully it will be a little shorter. I hope you like my story so far, and please review! Seriously, REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 6: The Banquet

-Konoha 11 mysteriously disappears, and all that's left of them are memories but, when Sasuke goes to investigate, he meets up with the pink-haired rebellion empress. And what's this? Naruto's got amnesia! OMG! What the Hell is going on?

* * *

**Yes! New chapter! Yay! Sorry it took a while… I had to do my science project. Eighth grade is full of projects, you know, so this chapter is kind of shorter than my other chapters.**

**Oh, and just so you don't get confused: Kaya is Sakura, and Sakura is Kaya, okay? I chose that name because it's the name of Ashitaka's _little sister_ in _Princess Mononoke_, and it can mean "Flower Field." Also, their last name is Emishi because Ashitaka, in the original movie, was the prince of the Emishi peoples. **

**Oh, and this chapter isn't named after a song. This chapter is actually named after the 2006 Chinese movie: 夜宴 (which is translated as "_night banquet_," but the English name of the movie is "The Banquet" or "The Legend of the Black Scorpion"). Please enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Six

The Banquet

The throne room looked strange, full of people wearing different colors instead of the usual mass of dull shinobi combat uniforms. Madara sat in his throne like a _real_ king, and he had actually dressed up for the occasion and didn't look like the fool he actually was.

"Oh, Sasuke! You _finally_ came—a little late though but no matter." He clapped his hands, and the large oak doors to the room opened. "Our foreign guests have just arrived as well."

Sasuke rolled his eyes but, nevertheless, kept his comments to himself.

The announcer cleared his throat and started doing his oh-so-_wonderful_ job: announcing the names of the _all_ guests. The first few couple of people had nothing really special about them except that they were either the lords of their lands or incredibly wealthy. The sixth couple, however, had something strange about them. The woman was Madame Koko de Funès[1], the heiress to the Mamodo Island throne. There was nothing strange about her. What was strange was the person who accompanied her—her father, Zofis de Funès[1], the current ruler of Mamodo Island. He . . . well, he wasn't _exactly_ the kind of person you'd look _up_ to. It was more of a look-_down_. Zofis was . . . well, he was height-challenged. Why, he was only a bit taller than his daughter's knees. Plus, with the make-up and clothes he wore, _he_ looked more like a _she_ and, rather than a king, he looked more like a _clown_.

Yeah, it took _a lot_ of willpower for the used-to-be Konoha and Suna shinobi _not_ to laugh.

Sasuke just shrugged it off but Madara, on the other hand, seemed intrigued by the heiress. In the warlord's eyes, Sasuke realized, was a faint hint of lust and possessiveness—something that screamed "She's _mine_!"

The younger Uchiha (by a whole lot of years _**coughscoughs** decades **coughscoughs**_) rolled his eyes, a sure feeling in his gut told him that he'd get a new ancestor-in-law.

The introductions went on and on—maybe for a whole _hour_ already—but something in their minds told all the guests and shinobi in the room that there were a whole lot _more_ arriving guests. After all, Madara _did_ had that split personality, and _Tobi_ probably got carried away with the guest list.

It was probably the one-hundred fifth or one-hundred sixth name called, but the couple Sasuke had waited for had finally shown their faces.

"Sir Emishi Ashitaka of Irontown and his sister, Lady Kaya." the announcer said as the siblings walked arm-in-arm into the crowded room.

The brother, Sasuke noticed, was probably just as tall as him, but Ashitaka didn't look like the ninja-type; he looked more like a samurai—broad shoulders, strong arms, etc. However, unlike the samurai and the other guests, he didn't seem as serious. Perhaps it was because of his age—he was _much_ _younger_ than most of the foreign ambassadors and was probably about the same age as Itachi would've been if he was alive, maybe even a bit _younger_.

It didn't really matter to Sasuke if he became friends with the Irontown ambassador or not. Just as long as Ashitaka occupied the Uchiha's fangirls then he'd have said Uchiha's respect.

Sasuke's eyes then fell on the girl next to her brother. His jaw _almost_ dropped. (Key word: _almost_.)

The girl was _definitely_ Emishi Kaya, but she didn't look a speck of what she did earlier before—probably courtesy of the Yamanaka girl. She had done something with her hair; it was no longer dull brown with bright red highlights but a beautiful shade of milk chocolate, and it reached up to her petite waist. She was wearing a beautiful ivory satin dress with a beautiful snow-white khata[2] made out of a floating, lacy silk. And she was holding herself, differently, somehow—maybe it was because she had to present herself to over a few hundred strangers; maybe that was why she didn't act as outgoing as she did prior to the cotillion.

She was indeed beautiful, Sasuke just realized. Her dark, muddy eyes brought warmth and kindness to her form while her flawless, pale skin gave her a kind of coldness, and her nervous smile gave her a sort of childish demeanor. Yes, her beauty was definitely coveted by the other female guests who envied her, and she herself was coveted by many of the male portion, many of whom received distasteful glares from her elder brother—Sasuke himself included, but the glare he received seemed to be the most intense.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Once everyone was settled in the hall, _Emperor_ Madara (I don't like calling him Emperor) stood from his throne and gave a small speech which was ended by a "Long live the king!" The guests had held their glasses in the air, but only a handful didn't say the praise. Madara then started the banquet in which everyone was seated at a long rectangular table—the Fire Lord's representative at one end and Madara at the other. At the Uchiha warlord's side was Madame Koko, and on his other side was her father, sitting right across from her. Next to Zofis was Kaya then her brother, and next to Koko was Sasuke, right across from Kaya, much to Ashitaka's dismay. Sasuke could tell that the Irontown ambassador simply _hated_ him but, for what reason, he didn't know.

As they ate, Madara continued to speak with Madame Koko and her father. All the while, Sasuke tried _not_ to listen but, every once in a while, he picked up on a few things: apparently, Madara and the madam had known each other for a few years already, and apparently . . . they had gotten to the part where they were thinking about—ugh, dare he say it—_marriage_.

Yeah, Sasuke did _not_ like the fact that he was going to get an ancestor-in-law who was _young_ _enough_ to be his _sister_, his _younger_ sister. Oh, the irony of it all…

"I almost feel bad for you, Lady Kaya." Madame Koko finally spoke to someone other than Madara or her father, her voice a bit snobby and nasally. "It must be hard dealing with those annoying rebels, day in and day out. It must be nerve-wrecking."

Sasuke saw Kaya freeze for the slightest moment, but her smiling façade was still undamaged as she spoke. "_Actually_," she said in a polite manner, holding her fake smile in place. "The Hanzoku are no trouble at all. We've had no problems with them before, and they've kept to themselves. We rarely see any of them."

"Is that so?" Koko asked as she started cutting her steak. She put the piece into her mouth and chewed. "I always thought that those rebels were barbaric losers . . . especially that leader of theirs—oh, what was her name? Oh, right—Old Lady Tsunade, the _biggest_ sore loser of them all."

Kaya's eyes narrowed—Sasuke could swear that he saw them change colors—and her grip on her glass tightened—so much, in fact, that the glass cup she held shattered, cutting into the girl's hand.

"_Kaya_!"

"Oniisama, there's no need to worry. _See_?"—Kaya held out her so-called injured hand—"I didn't get hurt."

"Why, I'll be!" Zofis exclaimed, taking an interest in the young Irontown girl. "You're extremely lucky, Miss. Kaya. Why, if any of that glass had—"

"Monsieur Zofis," Sasuke spoke, interrupting the little man. "Perhaps we should change the subject."

"Yes, Emishi-dono must have had quite the fright." Madara said. "After all, it's only been a year since his sister started living with him. It would have been quite a shame if one of those glass shards had—"

He paused when he saw Kaya's fist tighten and Ashitaka put his hand over it, trying to calm her down.

"_Perhaps_ a change in subject would be _best_." Kaya seethed through her teeth.

"Now, now, Flower Girl, there's no need to get all angry. We are all here to strengthen our alliance with Liao. Jeez, you act like my _friend_, Sherry[3]." Koko sneered at the word '_friend_.' "Oh, and speaking of Sherry, I had heard that she had fled to Irontown along with her boyfriend Brago[3] to join the Hanzoku."

"_Sherry_?" Ashitaka asked.

"Yes, _Sherry Belmont_. She's the daughter of one of my _best_ generals." Zofis gave the details. "But sadly, General Belmont revolted against me, and I was left with no choice but to execute him. Sherry, unfortunately, took it the wrong way and left the kingdom. We've been trying to locate her ever since."

"So . . . what do you plan to do with her when you _do_ find her?" Kaya asked, cautiously. "She _is_ the daughter of a traitor, and she _did_ deflect from your kingdom. Will you have her _killed_?"

Koko and Zofis chuckled. "Why, of course not." the little man said. "Sherry is only _eighteen_, after all, and not only that, but she is also my daughter's friend. I wouldn't _dream_ of harming her. Brago, however, is a different story. Though I do not know the _whole_ story, I believe Brago to be Sherry's _main_ reason for running. Brago shall be trialed, and Sherry will give her testimony. Then we'll just play by the book after that."

"Lady Kaya, I would appreciate it if you would keep a lookout for her"—Koko reached into her pocket and took out a piece of paper—"Here's her picture. We've handed out fliers and posters, and we even alerted several countries but, so far, we've no leads."—she handed the image to Kaya—"Beautiful, isn't she?"

"_Very_…" Kaya said, examining the portrait.

Sherry was indeed a beautiful girl. She had this elegant touch to her stature. Her golden hair, cerulean eyes, and porcelain skin made her look like a doll. And the girl next to her—presumably Koko—was just as beautiful. She looked the same as she did now, sitting right across from her father, with auburn hair and lovely magenta eyes… She looked almost exactly like she did in the picture except for the fact that her eyes were so much colder now than when the picture was taken.

Kaya looked up and quickly observed the heiress's face, her distant features, and cold eyes. Then she looked back down at the picture. _At this point, I can't be sure… _she thought.

"I'm sorry, Madame Koko, but"—Kaya handed the picture back to the heiress—"I have never seen this girl _in_ or anywhere _near_ Irontown."

"Well, thank you anyway." Koko said, not a bit of misery in her voice. "And I trust you will alert us if you _do_ see her. The sooner I find her, the sooner my best friend comes home."

Sasuke saw Kaya nod her head once but very awkwardly, and Ashitaka held her hand again and answered in her stead. "_Of course_, Madame. We'll help in any way that we can."

Koko smirked. "I appreciate it. Thank you, Lord Ashitaka. Lady Kaya."

Ashitaka bowed his head slightly while Kaya tried to keep on her fake smile. The task proved difficult, and it didn't go unnoticed by the young Uchiha who narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

* * *

**-dono = Mr. (form of address used for official letters and business letters and in letters to inferiors; also used when addressing someone of a different rank)**

**[1] = Even though their last name is something I made up, Koko and Zofis are characters from the show _Zatch Bell _and are the main antagonists of the _Milordo-Z_ arc of the series.**

**[2] = a khata is a traditional ceremonial scarf used in Tibet and Mongolia. It symbolizes purity, goodwill, auspiciousness and compassion. It is usually made of silk. Tibetan khatas are usually white symbolizing the pure heart of the giver, though it is quite common to find yellow gold khatas as well. Mongolian khatas are usually blue, symbolizing the sky.**

**[3] = Sherry Belmont and Brago are characters from the show _Zatch Bell _and have a vendetta against the evil Zofis who corrupted Koko.**

**Yay! The chapter's done! I hope you all like it! Oh, and Mamodo Island is a reference to the Mamodo in _Zatch Bell_, so yeah... ****I'm sorry it took so long, but I had to work on my other fanfictions, and I had a huge science project to do. It's sort of like a movie, but my sisters couldn't get past the first line without laughing. It took _forever_ just to record it, and I'm still editing it! I'm not even halfway finish it with it, and it's due on _Monday_! Oh god, help me! But don't worry, I'll still have time for fanfiction! See ya next time!**


	8. Chapter 7: HOPE or PAIN

-Konoha 11 mysteriously disappears, and all that's left of them are memories but, when Sasuke goes to investigate, he meets up with the pink-haired rebellion empress. And what's this? Naruto's got amnesia! OMG! What the Hell is going on?

* * *

**Yes! Finally! A new chapter! Yay! I'm so sorry it took so long, but I had to take a while to make this, so hopefully you like it! This chapter is named after Ayumi Hamasaki's _HOPE or PAIN_. Enjoy!**

**Oh, and just to clear things up since it's been so long since you've all read this story: Kaya _is_ Sakura, and Sakura _is_ Kaya. Kaya is just Sakura's alias, for now.**

* * *

Chapter Seven

HOPE or PAIN

When all of the food had been consumed, the visitors moved to the ballroom. The musicians picked up their instruments and struck up a slow, melo tune. Most of the guests started dancing, but others like Ashitaka and Kaya stood along the side and just observed the festivity, speaking maybe once or twice. Meanwhile, the shinobi stood along the opposite wall, talking amongst themselves; Sasuke carefully watching the female Irontown ambassador.

"Yo, Sasuke! What are you staring at?"

Sasuke didn't answer, and so Anko followed his gaze.

"Oh-ho!" the kunoichi chortled. "You have a _thing_ for her, don't you?"

"A thing for _who_?" Ino asked, emerging from the crowd.

Anko cupped her hand over the Yamanaka's ear and whispered the answer to her, and Ino's bright azure eyes widened.

"_So_ . . . you were checking out Sa—I mean, Kaya? _Eh_, Uchiha!" the Yamanaka chuckled while practically screeching. "Ya, I _knew_ it! I _knew_ it! Ha-ha! Tsunade-sama owes me—"

"Ino, unless you want to be condemned as a _traitor_ then I suggest you be quiet." Sasuke said, his eyes never leaving the girl who spoke to her brother.

Anko clicked her tongue. "Jeez, no need to be a sourpuss. Ino was just—"

"She mentioned the Godaime Hokage's name. The Kinnouka would be on her case if she had continued."

"_Oh_…" Anko said. She hadn't realized that the Uchiha was actually _looking out_ for them. Who knew that Sasuke could be so _nice_?

For a while, it was quiet until…

"Is either Kaya or Ashitaka related to Sakura?" Sasuke suddenly asked.

The two kunoichi's eyes widened, and they turned to each other; neither knew what to do.

"Wh-wh-why would you say _that_?" Ino asked, turning back to the Uchiha.

"No reason."

"But f-f-for . . . for you to ask tthat—s-s-such a ran-random question," Anko stuttered, "You . . . you must ha-have a reason…"

The Uchiha didn't answer.

"Yo, Uchiha! Aren't you going to _answer_ us?" Ino asked. "Don't you know it's _rude_ to—"

"She _looks_ like Sakura," Sasuke finally said.

Ino blinked her eyes in disbelief, stopping her rant. "You . . . you mean _Kaya_?" she asked. Her body trembled a bit.

"Yes, _her_."

"But that doesn't necessarily mean _anything_." Anko argued. "There are . . . _many_ people in the world who look alike. Maybe you just . . . you just . . ."—she shook her head—"She's probably just a look-alike."

"_Just_ a look-alike, huh?"

The kunoichi nodded their heads.

"Then, tell me," the Uchiha challenged, crossing his arms. "How did you first meet her?"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"I _hate_ that look he's giving you…" Ashitaka growled. "He's looking at you like you're _his_… It's the kind of look an over-possessive psychiatric manic would give someone."

"Well, _that's_ the look you give San-kojuutome."

"She's my _wife_! You of all people should that, Saku—"

"My name's _Kaya_!" the girl snapped/hissed, her eyes wide, and her lips trembled.

"Right… Look, I know you're under a whole lot of stress . . . and I know what you're going through . . . but you'll get through this…"

"_How_?" Sakura asked—no, _demanded_—her weakness gone.

Ashitaka pursed his lips and thought about the words he wanted to use. He didn't want to hurt his sister anymore than she already was. Plus, she was fragile—_very_ fragile—just as her namesake was. He had to be careful, he knew that, or else she'd wilt quicker than any flower in the coldest of all winters would.

He looked at the other couples, and an idea popped into his head. "You have to dance with me first." Though it was a bit uncalled for, the idea would buy him _some_ time—not _a lot_ of it but _some_ at the very least—to come up with a better answer.

Sakura's emerald eyes widened the moment she heard the suggestion. "Wh-why?"

Ashitaka clicked his tongue. "Jeez, I'm your older _brother_—everyone here knows that. There's no need to be embarrassed about it." he said as he grabbed his now-reddening sister's hand, but she was still hesitant. "Oh, come on… Dance with your older brother."

However, this time before Sakura could protest, Ashitaka had already dragged her onto the brightly lit dance floor. He seized one of her hands, holding it tightly in his, and placed his other hand around her waist. He steered, of course, while Sakura revolved slowly on the spot; her eyes fixed on one person and one person only.

"Imouto-san," Ashitaka asked, "Just what _are_ you looking at?"

"It's nothing," the rebellion Empress said, resting her head on her brother's chest. (Yes, she was _shorter_ than her brother like she was shorter than her ex-teammates.)

Ashitaka chuckled. "Little sister… Dear, sweet little sister… Do you really think you can fool _me_—your dear, sweet older brother?"

". . . No…"

"_Then_…?"

"You won't like the answer."

Sakura felt her brother's body tense. She knew he was angry, so she was scared to look up at his face. But nevertheless, she picked up her head from his chest and glanced up at him.

"You still love that _bastard_, don't you?"

Oh, yeah, he was most _definitely_ pissed off.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Ino let out a sardonic laugh. "Wh-why would you ask _that_? Do you _not_ trust us or something?"

The Uchiha scoffed. "Believe me, if I _didn't_ trust you then you'd be dead by now."

"Okay," Anko said, completely exasperated. "Who put the stick back up in your ass? We were just as surprised as you were when we first saw Kaya."

"Yeah! So you shouldn't be overreacting to this! We—"

"Ino, I'm not the one overreacting to _anything_; you and Anko are." the Uchiha retorted, still very calm. "I've only asked a few questions, and you two are acting as if I was an outsider poking his nose into something he shouldn't be poking into."

"Well, that…" Anko struggled to find the right words. "That's because . . . because—"

"Because you _are_ an outsider!" Ino yelled, taking the words right out of Anko's mouth. "You're poking your nose into things that you should just stay _out_ of! When you left Konoha, do you have _any_ _idea_ as to how hurt Sakura was?"

"Ino, quiet down… You're attracting a whole lot of unwanted attention…" Anko pleaded.

"_No_! He _needs_ to hear this!" Ino screamed.

"Ino, just quiet down a bit…" Anko said once more. "If Madara hears this, who knows what'll happen… Do you think we can _afford_ to lose you too? Do you think _Sakura_ can?" she said that last part in a whisper.

Ino seemed to have reacted to that, seeing as she kept her mouth shut, this time, but her eyes continued to shoot glares at the Uchiha. Inside her heart, she had hated the Uchiha probably even more than Ashitaka did.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"Oniisama… I . . . I . . ." Sakura's voice trembled. She was afraid. She had never liked it when her brother was angry. There was always the chance that he could lose control, thanks to that demonic curse[1] he had received years earlier.

"_Haruno Sakura_," he said her name in a low growl so that no one but she could hear. Sakura knew her brother was struggling to keep control of himself. That only frightened her even more.

"I've told you time and time before," he continued. "I will _never_ allow you to be with him."

"But, Oniisama, I _LOVE_ HIM!" Sakura's eyes were still adjusting to the bright light, but she could see her brother's face more clearly now, higher up than she had initially expected. Was it still possible that Ashitaka was still growing? He had to be almost fifteen centimeters taller than her already. Now he was an extra five.

Once Sakura caught sight of his features, she almost froze. His eyes were tight around the edges—careful—but she could see the fire burning in his eyes—he was definitely _beyond_ angry, more than pissed off.

"You _what_?"

"Oniisama, I _love_ him…" she cried once more but, this time, in a whisper. "I love him _so much_… Please, don't ask me to treat him like a stranger…"

"Sakura, when are you going to get it through your thick head? You and he can _never_ be! I don't want you getting hurt!"

"He won't hurt me, Oniisama…"

"He won't hurt you! Kaya, that's just a sick joke!" Ashitaka said, his voice raised. His griped tightened around Sakura's wrists, almost stopping her circulation.

"_Itai_! Oniisama, yamero! Onegai! Itai desu!"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Gomennasai," Ino apologized to the Uchiha, much to the dismay of her pride. "I guess I overreacted. I—"

_"Itai! Oniisama, yamero! Onegai! Itai desu!"_

Though faint, Ino's sensitive ears picked up on the terrified tone of her friend's voice. She sounded more than terrified, though, and so Ino's worried eyes began searching through the crowded ballroom. _Doko? Doko?_

"Dou shita no, Ino-chan?"

But the Yamanaka didn't answer Anko's question. Instead, her eyes kept searching and searching for the two Emishi siblings.

"Ino?" Anko tried again. "Dou shita no?"

"Where are Kaya and Ashitaka?"

"They went onto the dance floor just a while ago," Sasuke answered. "Why?"

But Ino didn't say anything else. She was too busy, busy searching for her friend and said friend's brother. However, the room was so crowded that it was nearly _impossible_ to find anyone just by standing in one place.

"Gomen ne, but I've gotta go!" And so, Ino picked up her dress and dived into the ocean of people, leaving behind a baffled Anko and a still-as-seemingly-emotionless Sasuke. But, inside his mind, he was definitely concerned about the female Irontown ambassador.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"Oniisama! _Please_! Let go!"

But Ashitaka didn't release his sister, his hands still wrapped around her wrists in a vice-like grip.

"Kaya! Return to your senses!" He pleaded. "You'll just wind up getting hurt!"

"You don't know that!" Sakura protested. "Oniisama, just . . . _please_! Let _go_!

"If you stay with him, you'll only wind up unhappy and hurt! I don't want to see that happen to you! Kaya, for your own good, you have to let him go!"

"Oniisama! Onegai…"

He shook her. His hands, tight as tourniquets, were quivering and sending vibrations deep into her bones.

"Ashitaka-oniisama—_STOP_!"

The crowded space was suddenly more packed.

"TAKE YOUR HANDS _OFF_ OF HER!" Ino's voice was as cold as ice, sharp as razors. "You're _hurting_ her!"

Behind Ashitaka, Sai appeared out of the crowd. "Back off, Ashitaka. You'll hurt her," he whispered to Ashitaka, echoing the Yamanaka's words. "Let her go…"

"_NOW_!" Ino shrieked.

And Sai was forced to pry Ashitaka's fingers off of Sakura's wrists, standing in between the two siblings.

Ashitaka's hands dropped to his sides, and the sudden gush of blood through Sakura's waiting veins was almost _painful_. But she ignored the pain, knowing fully well that, if Sai was here, he had urgent news to notify them about. And indeed, he did.

"Lord Ashitaka, Lady Kaya," he bowed as he addressed each of the ambassadors. "I bare news from Lady Eboshi[2]. I must speak to both of you _privately_ and _immediately_."

Ashitaka mentally cursed. He didn't _want_ to deal with anything that involved politics or anything else, especially not when he still had his sister to deal with.

He was about to rebuff the report, but Sakura just wanted to forget about what had just happened. Sure, she hated politics, but she'd rather deal with _them_ rather than remember how frightening her brother could be.

"Let's hear it, Sai." she said, much to her brother's disconcert.

"Well," the former ANBU Roots member started to say. "There had been—"

"Not _here_, Sai!" Ino hissed, surveying the surrounding crowd. "It'd be best if we went somewhere more private."

"But—"

"Daijōbu, Kaya…" Ino said, supporting her almost unconscious friend. "No one will notice our absence."

Sakura shook her head, trying to reorient herself. _No one . . . will notice? Hadn't everyone seen all that?_

Then, as she thought about it, she realized the confrontation that had seemed so catastrophic to her had, in reality, been very quiet and short in the crowded room. Practically, _no one_ had noticed it. _That_ was a good thing. Kaya's insides were chaotic with panic and grief, and her fake smile was virtually impossible to maintain.

_Hopefully,_ she prayed, _nobody noticed…_

However, unbeknownst to her, she had caught the eyes of _both_ the Uchihas in the room.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"Hey… Koko sweetie…"

"Hm, _yes_?"

"You specialize in getting on people's nerves, right?"

"Hai. Nande? Do you have a job for me?"

"Yes… In a matter of fact, I think you'd like this job. If you fail to get a reaction from Sasuke then we'd be rid of the Hanzoku Empress and there'd be one less _pest_ in this world…"

* * *

**Doko = where?**

**Dou shita no = what's the matter?**

**Itai = ow; ouch**

**Itai desu = it hurts; that hurts!**

**Nande = why?**

**Onegai = please**

**Yamero = quit it; stop it!**

**[1] = in the original movie of _Princess Mononoke_, Ashitaka fights off a demon. But in doing so, he receives a curse (kind of like Sasuke's cruse mark but on his arm and it spreads).**

**[2] = in _Princess Mononoke_, Lady Eboshi is the leader of Irontown.**

**Yeah, I'm sorry if it was a _Twilight_ mood in this chapter, but I couldn't come up with a way to continue to this story, so . . . yeah… Please review! PLEASE!**


	9. Chapter 8: W・h・y

-Konoha 11 mysteriously disappears, and all that's left of them are memories but, when Sasuke goes to investigate, he meets up with the pink-haired rebellion empress. And what's this? Naruto's got amnesia! OMG! What the Hell is going on?

* * *

**Yes! Finally! A new chapter! Yay! I'm _so_ sorry it took so long, but I had to work on my other fanfictions. And since this one didn't have as many reviews as the others do, I thought not too many people read this, so I worked more on the others. Sorry… But please enjoy! Oh, and this chapter is named after Dream (now DRM)'s _W・h・y_.**

* * *

Chapter Eight

W・h・y

"So . . . what _are_ you going to do, Sakura? I mean, Naruto might actually wake up. You should be by his side when he does…"

Sakura sighed, throwing back her head. "Honestly . . . I don't know . . . but I _need_ to finish this recon mission. If I don't, I might be endangering over hundreds of lives. I don't want to do that, _but_ . . ." She glanced over at her brother. She knew that Ashitaka would do _anything_ to get her away from Sasuke, and the change in Naruto's condition gave him the perfect opportunity. She knew he'd take advantage of that. After all, his face practically lit up once he learned of this new information.

_"Ashitaka-sama, Empress-san,"_ Sai had said_. "Some of Lady Eboshi's men have reported that the Land of Rain is planning on going to war with the Land of Grass."_

_"_What_?" the Emishi siblings asked, completely stupefied by this._

_"But I thought the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass were _allies_!" Ino added._

_"Yes, but that was while the ex-Akatsuki member Konan was leading it." Sai explained._

_"So . . ." Sakura asked, "Konan's not the leader of it anymore? What happened? How did she lose control?"_

_"A feudal lord's son, Naraku[1], and his cronies seized control of Amegakure and ran Konan and her followers out of the village. Right now, Joo Heika has sent them to the Land of Waves for safety."_

_Sakura nodded her head. "Good… If Konan is killed, I don't think it'd be easy taking control of her followers. We need her _alive_ especially since she knows more about Madara then anyone else in the Hanzoku."_

_"Oh, and there is one other thing, Empress-san," Sai said, "Though it may shock you."_

_"What is it, Sai?" The kunoichi was definitely curious now that Sai seemed so hesitant to tell her._

_"_Etto_… Naruto is . . . well, his condition has changed. There's an alteration in his brainwaves. Joo Heika believes he might wake up soon."_

_"_What_?" Sakura's eyes widened, tears forming in her emerald eyes. "He might wake up? You're not joking?"_

_Sai shook his head, a true smile on his face. "No, Empress-san. Naruto is really going to wake up soon."_

_"That's great!" Sakura sighed, Ino putting a hand on her should to steady her. "That's really great…"_

_Ashitaka also had the same reaction except he kept it from showing. Instead, he used it to his benefit. "Then," he started to say, "Sakura, you should go back to the base. You should be with him when he wakes up."_

_"But, Oniisama, what about the mission?"_

_"Daijōbu… I'll take care of it. You should go back."_

_However, Sakura stayed wary of her brother's unusually kind words. "Oniisama," she said, "I'm scared… Are you sure you have no _other_ reason for wanting me to go back to the Hanzoku campsite?"_

_"Sore douyuu imi desu ka?"_

_"Oniisama, I _know_ you… You just don't want me to be near Sasuke, don't you? That's why you want me to go home… You just—"_

_"Sakura, I didn't make this decision just because of personal reasons." Ashitaka snapped. "You've been waiting for Naruto to wake up from his coma for the past _year_. Now that there's a chance that he might wake up, are you _sure_ you can keep focused on the mission?"_

_Sakura didn't answer. She knew the game her brother was playing, and she knew what he was trying to get at, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of winning. "Oniisama," she said, "If you're only doing this for the reason I _think_ you're doing this for, I won't forgive you."_

"You should go back to him," Ashitaka tried again.

Sakura glared at him. "Leave me alone, okay? I have _enough_ to worry about."

Ashitaka didn't say anything else and just went back into the building.

"Sakura… He just—"

"Ino, _please_…" Sakura's voice trembled. "I just want to be alone…"

Ino nodded her head and whispered, "Okay," while taking Sai with her. "Come on, Sai."

They followed into the ballroom and, once the footsteps went out of earshot, Sakura sighed. "What _am_ I going to do?" she asked of herself.

"Well, this is a rare sight… The Empress of the Hanzoku, unable to decide what to do… What a beautiful day…"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"Where's—"

"She wants some alone time." Ino snapped at the Irontown Ambassador. "I suggest you respect her wishes and back _off_."

"_What_?" Ashitaka was completely appalled. Not only was he older than her, but he was also her superior—the Empress's brother and the Hanzoku's Minister of Defense and Military Affairs. How dare she speak to him like this! "Ino, I know both you and my sister may think that I'm only keeping her away from Sasuke for my own selfish reasons, but every precaution I'm taking—everything I'm doing—it's all for Sakura's sake…"

Ino clicked her tongue, and the fury in her eyes showed her disbelief. "No… I _know_ you, Ashitaka. You're not the kind of guy to give in easily, you're not one who shirks his responsibilities, and you _certainly_ wouldn't let your sister shirk hers. You have a completely different reason for wanting her to leave, and I know . . . it's because you don't want her anywhere _near_ Sasuke. Am I correct?"

For a while, the two Hanzoku members didn't say anything; they just glared at each other. But after a few minutes, Ino's eyes softened a bit.

"You can't continue to control her life like this…" she said. "And you can't be the _only_ guy in her life. You can't let this go on… She _loves_ him… Let her _at least_ have a shot at happiness, huh?"

But Ashitaka's eyes didn't soften. "Think what you will, but I will _never_ allow her to be with the bastard who broke her heart more than once." And he walked away, leaving an infuriated Ino who clenched her fists.

"He's not the only one who broke her heart…" she said softly.

Ashitaka stopped in his tracks when he heard that but, nevertheless, he didn't look back and continued on his way.

"Ino, you okay?" Sai asked.

The Yamanaka crossed her arms. "Ugh! I _swear_, he's just as stubborn as Naruto! Now I _know_ where Sakura gets it from!"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"Madame Koko, what are you talking about?" Sakura asked, trying to keep her cover. "_Hanzoku Empress_? Why, there's no such thing. Perhaps you've heard one too many rumors. And besides, if there was such a thing called the _'Empress_ _of the Hanzoku_,' it wouldn't be me. I—"

"Oh, stow it. Madara already knows." Koko said. "So, unless you want your brother to be arrested for trespassing and executed for high crimes against Liao, speak as your true self, Ha—ru—no Sa—ku—ra."

"So . . . I'm found out, eh?" the discovered kunoichi let out a wary chuckle. "So . . . what's going to happen to me? Surely, you're not going to let the rebellion Empress go free, are you?"

"If that had been my intention in the first place then I wouldn't have told you I knew your identity."

"True… So then . . . you have _another_ dark intention?"

"No, of course not." Koko chuckled. "I told you that I'm only looking for my childhood friend—"

"Whom I told you I've not seen."

"Yes… However, even though _I _don't have any hidden agenda, Madara sure does."

Sakura's eyes narrowed then. "What do you mean by _that_?" she asked.

"I'm sure you're acquainted with Uchiha Sasuke, _no_?"

"Well, I'm not obliged to tell you that until _after_ you tell me the reason _why_ you're approaching me like this, Madame." Sakura said, her eyes never leaving the heiress for fear of being ambushed.

* * *

**Whew! Finally done! Long chapter too… Oh, and because I haven't updated in a while, here's a list of definitions to help jog your memory a bit.**

**Arigato = thank you**

**-dono = Mr. (form of address used for official letters and business letters and in letters to inferiors; also used when addressing someone of a different rank)**

**Chuutai = middle truth**

**Daijōbu = don't worry**

**Doko = where?**

**Dou shita no = what's the matter?**

**Eiya = ugh; damn; ah; my God**

**Etto = let me see; well; errr...**

**Godaime Hokage = Fifth Hokage**

**Gomen, gomen = sorry, sorry**

**Gomen ne = sorry**

**Gomennasai = I'm sorry**

**Hanzoku = rebels**

**Hora = hey**

**Imouto-san = [younger] sister; [younger] sister-in-law (honorific use)**

**Itai = ow; ouch**

**Itai desu = it hurts; that hurts!**

**Kami/Kami-sama = God**

**Kinnouka = loyalists**

**Kougou Heika = Her/Your Majesty the Empress; Her/Your Highness**

**Kojuutome = [elder] sister-in-law**

**Kojuutome ha koko de nani wo shite iru no desu ka = what are you [sister-in-law] doing here?**

**Nande = why?**

**Nani = what?**

**O genki de = good luck**

**Onegai = please**

**Oniisama = older brother**

**Potsu-potsu = drip-drop; pitter-patter**

**Shisou = master**

**Shimatta = damn it**

**Sore douyuu imi desu ka = what do you mean [by it]?**

**Yamero = quit it; stop it!**

**[1] = if any of you watch _Inuyasha_, Naraku's the main antagonist during the story. For this fanfiction, I just put him in for an explanation of Konan's sudden loss of power. I don't think he'll have any major role in the story . . . yet.**

**Thank you for reading this chapter! I'll try to get the next chapter up earlier, but I can't promise anything else! Please review!**


	10. Chapter 9: Sociometry

-Konoha 11 mysteriously disappears, and all that's left of them are memories but, when Sasuke goes to investigate, he meets up with the pink-haired rebellion empress. And what's this? Naruto's got amnesia! OMG! What the Hell is going on!

* * *

**Yes! A new chapter! I hoped you guys liked my last chapter, but no one reviewed, so I really don't know. And so, I hope this one is better. This chapter is named after KOTOKO's song from the hit anime _Blaze_. Please enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Nine

Sociometry

"Hasn't Sakura come back yet?"

"I'm afraid not," Sai answered his ally. "Should I go look for her?"

Ino shook her head. "No, it's probably nothing."

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"You wanted to see me?"

"As a matter in fact, _yes_." Madara said. "But you're late, Sasuke, and you're _never_ late. I'm starting to think that Kakashi may have rubbed off on you."

"Is there any _other_ reason why you called me here?"

"As a matter in fact, _yes_." Madara smiled. "You know Madame Koko? Well, she and I—"

"Sayonara." And Sasuke walked towards the door.

"Stop right there!"

But Sasuke continued to walk off.

And so, Madara (in a Tobi-like manner) went after him but gave up after a minute or so. "Eh, he must be going through the rebellious teenager state."

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"Ino! Where are the Irontown representatives?"

"Wh-why do you need to know?"

"Madara wants to see them," the Uchiha lied.

The Yamanaka's eyes widened. "Wh-_why_?"

"How am_ I _supposed to know? I'm merely just the messenger."

"Right…" But inside, Ino didn't trust the Uchiha's words at all.

Sasuke sighed in exasperation. "Don't worry, he won't hurt your friend."

"Right…" _You might, though… _"_Anoo_ . . . Kaya is . . . _somewhere_ on the terrace, and Ashitaka is…"—her eyes skimmed through the crowd—"Well, he's _somewhere_ in the room." But when the Yamanaka turned back to the Uchiha, he was gone.

She _hmp_ed and rested her hands on her hips. "I _knew_ he had a thing for her…"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"Aw… Don't be so defensive, Haruno. We're all friends here…"

Sakura scoffed. "I don't think the word _'friends'_ applies to us, Madame Koko."

"Oh, I know. I'm just quoting Madara. He's the one who wants to give you the message; I'm merely just the messenger."

"I see… So . . . what's the message?"

"He's willing to allow all of the Hanzoku back into Liao, free of _any_ charges."

"_What_?"

"And I quote, '_The war has gone on for too long, _far_ too long. Perhaps a partnership will interest the Hanzoku. The empire can be renamed to fit an image that will suit _both_ parties—perhaps Konoha can rise again, but not as the small village it once was but as a great and powerful _nation_. We do not have to live in a world of violence and dispute. If we can come together, perhaps peace and harmony can once again be among us._' That is Madara's message."

Sakura gave a sardonic chuckle. "Is that _so_? Well, as _tempting_ as that proposition is, I'm afraid I have to decline his offer."

"He won't take that for an answer."

"Then tell him this: reclaiming Konoha doesn't interest the Hanzoku anymore. Instead, what we desire . . . is our revenge—to see Madara's empire crumble and fall to the ground as Konoha did. If not then, on the soil of the Hanzoku base, we will create a more powerful and stronger kingdom—one that shall surpass Liao in the image of Konoha's forefathers."

"You're only digging your own grave by doing that."

"It doesn't matter. The Hanzoku have decided on their choice. Until we have seen Madara fall, we won't rest."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," Koko said, not even feigning concern. "I had hoped you were more reasonable than this, but I see now that you're just like Sherry—stupid as you are conceited."

"And pray tell: how am I _conceited_?"

"Because you don't care who your decision hurts. Whatever you want to do, you go ahead with it."

"But can you blame me for that? After all, in this world and time, if you show even a moment of hesitation, you're as good as dead. Would the Hanzoku be able to survive without their empress?"

"Even without you, they still have their regnant."

"Yes, but…" Sakura said, knowing that the heiress was just trying to get information out of her. "Madame Koko, I suggest you make yourself clear. Exactly whose side are you on?"

"The side that will win this war, of course."

"Then you're overestimating Madara's power and underestimating the Hanzoku's."

"Perhaps…" the Madame shrugged. "But Madara doesn't plan on losing."

"Well, neither do I nor the Hanzoku."

"Then this war should probably be the most interesting in all of ninja history."

"Indeed, it shall."

The two female aristocrats just glared at each other, wary of the other. The hostile silence between them was poison to anyone else. Perhaps that's why they weren't interrupted.

"_Yes_?" Koko suddenly said to the person hiding in the shadows. "What is it, Sasuke-kun?"

Sakura's eyes widened then. She had not realized that she and the heiress were being watched, and she certainly didn't sense the Uchiha. For how _long_ had he been there? And . . . how _much_ had he _heard_?

"Madara wants to see you, Madame." Sasuke said as he came out of his hiding spot.

Sakura mentally let out a sigh of relief. _Good… He didn't come because of me… _she thought.

"_Oh_?" Koko asked. "I wonder why…"—she turned back to Sakura—"It appears that our conversation has been cut short, Lady Kaya. Perhaps . . . another time then."

Sakura could've pounced her right there and then. How dare Koko brush her off like that! But nevertheless, she remained civilized. "Until then, Madame…" Sakura bowed her head slightly.

Koko returned the gesture before leaving the two ex-teammates alone. It was just awkward silence between the two of them; Sakura's worry caused by fear of losing her cover. And after a longer while, once she was sure she was safe, she spoke.

"Well . . . I'd best be off," she said. "My brother must be worried… I'll . . . I'll see you around, I guess…"

But the moment when she took her first step was the moment when she felt Sasuke's strong arms around her petite waist and when she felt his breath against her neck.

"You're not leaving…" the Uchiha said, his grip tightening around her. "Not again, Sakura…"

The kunoichi's eyes widened. _How did he..? When did he..?_

* * *

**Ha! Left you off on a cliff-hanger, didn't I? Well, this is what I decided to do. Since I haven't really gotten a lot of reviews on this, I think I'll put this on a hiatus for some time while I work on my other fanfics, okay? Until I get close to fifteen reviews, I won't put up the next chapter. I'm sorry, but my brain hasn't been functioning well with this story, and a lot of people read my other stories, so I don't want to disappoint them. And frankly, working on a worthless story like this one isn't going to please them… And so . . . yeah, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please REVIEW!**


	11. Chapter 10: Reason

-This was his second chance and, by God, he was so not messing it up even if everyone was against him and even if the dobe had lost his memory… Yeah, this would work out wonderfully…

* * *

**Yes! _Finally_! A new chapter! I'm really sorry, you guys! I was so busy with my other fanfics that I really forgot about this one! Plus, I still didn't get any new ideas for this story except for the new and improved summary. (Like it?) I'm really sorry! I can't believe I didn't update this one in over a year! I'm so sorry!**

**Anyway, this chapter is named after the song from Tamaki Nami, and I think you'll get a picture of why it's named what it's named after reading this horribly short chapter. Thank you and please enjoy (if you can)!**

* * *

Chapter Ten  
Reason

"_How_…?" Sakura asked, her voice honeyed with astonishment. She had thought her act was perfect. No one should have been able to tell that Kaya was her, not even Sasuke. "I don't understand. How did you figure it out?"

"Hn…"

"No, _really_, Sasuke-kun. How did you know it was _me_?" she asked again. At the moment, she really did not want to decipher his one word answers. Any other time would have been fine, but today was different. After all, she had a cover to keep, and keeping her cover she would do. But if he had figured out her identity, how many others had too?

The Uchiha shrugged, his hold on the rosette never wavered. "I just took a guess."

"A _guess_?" The question was marred with disbelief. He would have to give her a better answer than _that_ to pull the wool over her eyes. "Oh, _come on_! I know you're good at what you do, but you can't be _that_ good!"

Uchiha almost rolled his eyes. "Fine… If you really must know, I went against my better judgment and eavesdropped on your previous conversation."

"Yeah…" This answer was good enough to satisfy the kunoichi. "I kind of realized that," she added, her eyes drifting down towards her ex-teammate's arms which were still wrapped around her torso. "_Anoo_ . . ." She could feel the heat in her cheeks and sincerely hoped she wasn't scarlet red right now. "Could you…? Are you going to let me go anytime soon?"

"Hn…" Again, the Uchiha replied with his famous one word answer. "How do I know you're not going to run away again?"

"Because," Sakura answered with a confidence that said she wouldn't lose the argument, "If I were to run, you'd catch me with that lightning speed of yours." And as she felt his hands lifting off of her body, she turned around and smiled.

"What?"

It was her turn to shrug. "Nothing really…" And then she threw her arms around the Uchiha, taking in his scent. How long had it been since she was able to do this so freely?

"Sakura, I didn't release you just so you could do the same to me."

"Yeah, I know… But I missed you…" She showed no sign of letting go.

"We saw each other just the other day."

"Yeah, but I still hated the whole time I was away from you… I mean, I was your teammate… Isn't it _natural_ for me to miss your company even if just a little?"

"Ah…"

She giggled then let out an involuntary yawn, her eyelids suddenly felt heavy.

"What? Tired _already_?" he teased her, resting his head on top of hers. She smelled distinctly sweet, he realized, just like her namesake.

"You can't really blame me, can you? The whole act tired me out…" she sighed, a smile still on her face. "And I was very bored during the whole cotillion, so…" Again, a yawn erupted from her.

"I thought you'd have more stamina, considering the fact that you have to deal with the Dobe every day."

Suddenly, Sakura tensed at the mention of the other member of Team 7, her smile also dropping.

"Sakura." He was tired of her doing that. He knew very well that she was hiding something and, this time, he'd get it out of her.

She laughed nervously, her head still somewhat buried in his chest. "About Naruto, well, he… _Anoo_…"

"What is it?" He was starting to dislike her constant stutters and mumbles.

"Heh-heh, funny you should mention him. You see, the thing is—"

"_KAYA_!"

The couple turned to the door, only to be met by a very angry older brother. Sakura gasped and immediately pulled away from her childhood crush. She had a feeling Ashitaka wasn't in a really good mood right now, and her gut told her that there _might_ be a fight.

"Oh… Oniisama…" Her voice was now coated with a small hint of fear. "I—" But she was unable to speak another word before her brother's hand met her face with a loud clout. Sakura's hand instinctively touched her red and stinging cheek. Like last time, to say that she was shocked was an understatement and, for a while, she couldn't even comprehend the event that had just occurred.

"You deliberately disobeyed me," her brother growled.

"Oniisama, I—"

"Let's go home." (A/N: Whoa… _Lion King_ scene much?) He grabbed her arm and was halfway ready to drag her all across the ninja world when, out of the blue, another hand grabbed his. "Uchiha," he spat out with as much hate as he could muster.

"Ashitaka," Sasuke returned the snarl. Even if the boy _was_ her brother, there was no way he'd allow _anyone_ to hit Sakura like that.

"What is it that you want?"

"A moment with your sister."

"A _moment_?" Ashitaka scoffed. He would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so serious. "Do you really think I'd _allow_ it?"

"Oniisama—"

"Not another _word_ from you!" he turned on his sister. "Don't think I'm doing this for myself, Sakura! I'm doing this for your sake!"

"But, _Oniisama_!"

"We'll discuss your behavior at home!" he snapped, not wanting to argue with her at present. "Right now—"

"Oniisama! I want to talk to him!" she shrieked, a note of desperation in her scream. "At least, let me do that! Can't you allow just that, _huh_?"

"I thought I told you to be quiet!"

"Oniisama!" Again, she cried. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because I'm your brother!"

"But does that give you any reason to cause me so much pain?"

It was that one question that finally stopped Ashitaka's rage.

"He was my teammate… I know him better than you do! Please… Just let me talk to him, if only for a minute longer…"

He stared at his sister, shock written on his face. Yes, he had known he would've caused her pain when he had forbidden her form seeing the boy she loved, but he really wasn't ready to see her cry once more. He had seen those tears so many times before. He knew each and every one of those tears already, and yet . . . this time, they were a bit _different_ somehow… Filled with so much sadness… So much pain and longing…

He sighed and released his sister's hand. "You have until the end of the week," he said as he made his way back into the crowd. It wasn't because he lost the fight but because he didn't want to be seen as the bad guy. "Use it wisely, but don't forget: you have other friends in this place whom you should visit." And then, he disappeared into the sea of people.

* * *

**Whew! Chapter done! But it's so _short_! Only barely 1,100 words! Ahh! _No_! I promise, when I get to updating this fanfic again, the next chapter will be so much longer! Me is promising, and me shall do it! But until then, please review so I can get a good idea of how many people are waiting for the new chapter.**


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